A Congolese army officer arrived in the village of Kafwaya in June and warned re...
DAKAR - A Congolese army officer arrived in the village of Kafwaya in June and warned residents not to trespass on a major Chinese copper and cobalt mine next door. As night fell about a week later, the soldiers moved in.
Years of negotiations, alternative employment programs and sporadic interventions by the police have all failed to resolve the issue, which has long been a concern for mining companies sitting on some of the world’s richest mineral deposits. The Congolese authorities say informal miners are endangering the country’s interests and the army deployments are also meant to prevent the kinds of accidents that killed 43 illegal miners at a Glencore project on June 27.Since the army deployed in southeastern Congo, thousands of illegal diggers have been pushed off Glencore’s Kamoto Copper Company mine and China Molybdenum’s Tenke Fungurume Mine .
General John Numbi, who led the operation, denied anyone was hurt. Asked later about the specific allegations, he sent a text message that just said: “Let’s be serious.” General Numbi is currently under U.S., EU and Swiss sanctions for reportedly threatening violence against opposition politicians in 2016. He denies any wrongdoing.The risk of ending up with Congolese cobalt mined by children in dangerous conditions has already prompted some car companies to look for alternatives.
But with 64% of global cobalt supplies coming from Congo in 2018, according to the United States Geological Survey, it will be difficult for companies to cut the country out of their supply chains entirely. IndustriALL, an international union, said its affiliate at KCC had asked regional Governor Richard Muyej to address the issue of illegal miners but said it opposed sending in the army.
“It’s not entirely clear whether you can operate a responsible mine inside the DRC or not. I genuinely do not know whether you can,” said one mining investor, who asked not to be named for fear of angering authorities.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
First case of Ebola confirmed in DR Congo border city of GomaEbola has reached the Congolese city of Goma, a major transit hub on the Rwandan border. Health experts are working desperately to prevent the virus making its way across into still-uninfected Rwanda.
Read more »
Kumail Nanjiani and other celebs send Trump a message: 'We won't go back'President Trump tweeted out a message to four freshmen congresswomen, crudely urging them to 'go back' to their home countries and fix problems there before opining on how the U.S. should be run. Celebrities Kumail Nanjiani, Padma Lakshmi and George Takei took it personally.
Read more »
European lawmakers send mixed signals ahead of critical vote on Merkel's allyVon der Leyen, one of the longest serving ministers in Germany, has tried to woo European lawmakers over the last two weeks – to convince them she is the right person to become the next European Commission President.
Read more »
Turkey to send fourth drilling ship to eastern Mediterranean 'soon'Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says a fourth ship will be sent to the eastern Mediterranean 'as soon as possible,' as EU unveils measures against Turkish hydrocarbon exploration.
Read more »
R. Kelly's Alleged Sex Slaves On Video Say They're Still in HIs CondoJoycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary send a message to their family and R. Kelly's fans.
Read more »