Key facts
- Protesters have blocked copper exports from Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia.
- The protest is led by the Radical Reform Movement, demanding a larger share of mining revenue for Mongolians.
- The Oyu Tolgoi mine is a significant copper and gold deposit near the Chinese border.
- Rio Tinto confirmed that copper concentrate shipments were halted due to the blockade.
- The Mongolian Prime Minister has ordered law enforcement to clear the obstruction.
Protesters in Mongolia have blocked copper exports from Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi mine, a critical supplier to China's renewable energy sector. The group, known as the Radical Reform Movement, is demanding a greater share of the mine's revenue for Mongolians, citing persistent poverty despite the nation's mineral wealth. The Oyu Tolgoi mine, a massive copper and gold project in the Gobi Desert near the Chinese border, is expected to be one of the world's largest copper mines upon full operation.