Gold smuggling in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has recently drawn the attention of mining actors and notables in Ituri. According to them, about 80% of the gold produced in the territories of Djugu and Mambasa escapes the control of the Congolese state and is exported fraudulently to foreign countries.
This disturbing revelation was made during a meeting on gold governance in the region. Experts believe that this situation causes a huge loss for the province of Ituri and contributes to the financing of local armed groups.
Tibert Kajemba, expert in mining issues in the Madini Kwa maendeleo project, denounces this massive fraud by stressing that the majority of gold production is not recorded at the level of the statistics services. He thus calls on the government to intensify military pressure on the combatants and to accelerate the program of demilitarization of the mining sites.
This worrying situation highlights the need to strengthen mining legislation and its application in the province of Ituri, which is strongly affected by the activism of armed groups. To remedy this situation, it is crucial to put in place effective measures to combat gold smuggling and ensure transparency in the mining sector.
A meeting organized over two days brought together mining actors, representatives of civil society and notables from Djugu and Mambasa. This initiative, supported by MONUSCO, aims to implement recommendations aimed at improving the management of mining resources and ensuring stricter control of gold mined in the region.
Ending gold smuggling in the DRC is essential to allow the state to fully benefit from the revenue generated by this precious resource. This requires close collaboration between the Congolese authorities, actors in the mining sector and the international community to put in place mechanisms for control, transparency and good governance in the Congolese mining sector.
The fight against gold smuggling in the DRC is a crucial issue for the economic development and stability of the country. It is time to face this problem and to act quickly to put an end to this illegal practice which deprives the Congolese State of resources essential for its development