Transparency in the negotiations between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and China for a mining and infrastructure construction contract has raised concerns within the Public Expenditure Observatory (ODEP), a group of civil society organizations responsible for monitoring and controlling the budget process.
This contract, signed in 2008 under the presidency of Joseph Kabila, was to allow the DRC to receive 3 billion dollars in infrastructure in exchange for the exploitation of the mines by Chinese companies. However, only less than a billion has been invested in infrastructure, while Chinese companies have taken in more than $10 billion from exploiting copper and cobalt mines in the southeast of the country. President Félix Tshisekedi called for a renegotiation of this contract for a rebalancing of the terms.
Unfortunately, according to ODEP, the ongoing negotiations between the Congolese authorities and Chinese companies are taking place in absolute silence, leaving civil society in the dark about what is really going on. Florimond Muteba, the head of ODEP, deplores the fact that the process is repeating itself and fears a new agreement that would benefit China more than the DRC.
Moreover, ODEP stresses that the Congolese officials involved in this contract should be held accountable for their actions and subject to legal proceedings. According to Muteba, it is essential that the judicial system is activated so that those who have been linked to this case are held to account and face the consequences of their actions.
Transparency and accountability in the negotiations around this contract are therefore major concerns for ODEP and Congolese civil society. It is essential to ensure that the interests of the country are protected and that the profits from the exploitation of natural resources are truly used for the development of infrastructure and the well-being of the Congolese population