Congolese civil society, grouped under the banner of the “Congo is not for sale” (CNPAV) coalition, organized a press conference on 2 June. The latter was intended to welcome the publication of the definitive documentation which completes the agreement between the DRC and Ventora Development, the group affiliated with Dan Gertler. However, this coalition of Congolese civil society has called on the government to continue this momentum by publishing the five settlement agreements of March 16, 2023, as well as terms of reference of February 9 which form an integral part of the agreement.
The CNPAV has invited the Congolese government to renegotiate the terms of this agreement to allow the Congolese people to benefit from the royalties due to them. For civil society, the agreement signed between the government and the Ventora group allows Dan Gertler to continue to receive royalties estimated at an average of 250,000 dollars per day. The coalition therefore calls for the renegotiation of this agreement.
Indeed, despite the significant losses suffered by the DRC, the government has committed to paying several hundred million additional euros to Ventora to recover assets whose value has not been independently certified. In addition, the agreement allows Mr. Gertler to continue to collect royalties in three major copper-cobalt projects representing an average of $250,000 per day, while the CNPAV has constantly questioned the mode of acquisition. of these royalties and the loss of earnings for the Republic. Finally, the agreement protects Mr. Gertler from prosecution for the corruption allegations that led to his being sanctioned in the United States.
For the CNPAV, transparency must be required in this case and any renegotiation of the agreement must be made public, in accordance with the Mining Code. Any amendment or reformulation of the agreement must be communicated to the press.
Despite the announcement made by Dan Gertler of the suspension of legal proceedings against civil society and the media, the CNPAV indicates that it has not received confirmation that the Congolese courts have indeed been informed of the end of the legal proceedings in progress. Civil society has also invited the Ventora group to abandon the proceedings against their spokesperson and his employer, but also to a contradictory exchange to allow a clarification of positions.
The CNPAV recalls that the requested meeting should take place before July 15. Congolese civil society also calls on the Congolese government to work to improve the situation in the country and to resolve the conflicts there. In short, it is necessary to establish stable and lasting security to promote the emergence of a flourishing economy.