The authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) recently announced a major success in the fight against the illicit sale of artisanal gold. In just six months, the country managed to export 2 tons of gold from artisanal mines to the United Arab Emirates, thanks to a joint venture created in partnership with this country. A significant step forward for a country where 99% of artisanal gold exports were previously carried out fraudulently.
This initiative is the result of a desire to fight against the smuggling of minerals and to review the financial flows linked to the purchase and marketing of artisanal gold. Thanks to these exports, the funds are now repatriated into the Congolese banking system, thus helping to strengthen the transparency and traceability of transactions.
Artisanal mines in the province of South Kivu were the main source of this exported gold. This region was known to be a real sieve, allowing neighboring countries like Rwanda to illegally appropriate the mineral resources of the DRC. However, thanks to this new cooperation and the efforts made, the DRC was able to put an end to this practice and restore sovereignty over its natural resources.
The Congolese-Emirati company responsible for exporting artisanal gold, called Primera Gold, is pleased with this achievement. The two tonnes exported represent, according to the general manager of the company, the equivalent of 80 years of exports from the province of South Kivu. However, civil society voices are raising concerns about the Emirati government’s involvement in this venture, with only 45% of the share capital held by the Congolese state.
Despite these criticisms, Primera Gold claims to control sources and supply chains so as to exclude minerals from sites under the control of armed groups. In addition, the banking of actors in the supply chain guarantees better traceability of transactions.
The next step for the DRC is to develop local gold refining capacity and certify the ore locally. However, this remains a longer-term objective, given the logistical and infrastructure challenges necessary to achieve this transformation on Congolese territory.
In conclusion, the recent exports of artisanal gold from the DRC to the United Arab Emirates mark a major turning point in the fight against mining smuggling and the illegal exploitation of the country’s natural resources. With sustained efforts and international cooperation, the DRC is getting closer to its objective of developing its natural resources in a transparent and responsible manner