The Democratic Republic of Congo recently participated in the XVI Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains, organized by the OECD, the ICGLR and the United Nations Group of Experts. The Deputy Minister of Mines, Godard Motemona, who represented the DRC, deplored the worrying situation of artisanal miners, while end consumers reap considerable benefits.
He explained that mining fraud in the DRC is largely due to non-compliance with the framework measures put in place and informed the assembly that almost all of the gold from artisanal mining in the DRC, approximately 37 tons, comes out by fraud for the benefit of refineries installed in neighboring countries, particularly in Uganda. He also pointed out that the drop in the export of coltan from the DRC is due to coltan smelters located in neighboring countries requiring supplies from the DRC.
In addition, Godard Motemona called on the international community to condemn Rwanda, the main “aggressor and looter” of resources in the DRC, accused of maintaining a fraudulent supply corridor in defiance of established standards. He requested substantial support from the international community to confront the DRC’s aggressors.
Finally, he praised the efforts of the President of the Republic Félix Tshisekedi to bring peace to the country and discussed with the Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in the Great Lakes Region on the support of the United Nations to the DRC to overcome the difficulties it is currently experiencing due to the war in its eastern part.
It is important to emphasize that mining fraud deprives the DRC of the capital necessary to further finance the construction of roads, hospitals, schools, etc., both in the province of extraction and throughout the national territory. More than 40 tons of illegal gold leave Congolese territory every year, thus accentuating the economic difficulties that the country is experiencing.
The DRC faces many challenges in ensuring a responsible supply of minerals. The international community must lend its support to help the country get out of this precarious situation and put in place a clear legal framework to regulate mining