The news is marked by violent demonstrations in the province of Lualaba, near Kisankala. Artisanal diggers in the region are protesting against Lebanese operators who are illegally appropriating mining areas where they used to work.
This violence is the consequence of a deep malaise within the population, which suffers industrial spoliation by foreign mining operators. This situation is further aggravated by the complicity of the soldiers in charge of protecting these exploitation sites, who oppose any action by the prosecution.
The neglect of victims by the competent provincial and national authorities seems to be the norm in the region, where mining spoliation is commonplace. The company Swanmines, holder of the mining rights in the region, also denounces these illegal practices and notes a bitter impotence to assert its rights.
These situations are a worrying reflection of an opaque and lax management of the mining sector in the DRC, where local populations are deprived of their means of subsistence and where foreign multinationals enjoy protection from the military and civil authorities. . It is high time for concrete measures to be taken to restore order and justice in this crucial area for the country’s economy.