The Kipushi artisanal mining area was located in an open swath of earth just south of the abandoned Gécamines pit. It was a vast lunar wasteland spanning several square kilometers—a bizarre juxtaposition to the advanced KICO mining compound sitting right next to it. KICO had first-world mining equipment, excavation techniques, and safety measures. The artisanal site seemed to be time-warped from centuries before, populated by peasants using rudimentary tools to hack at the earth.
