In the province of Haut-Katanga, in the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a tense situation is shaking the city of Likasi. The agents of the Generale des Carrières et des Mines (Gécamines) have decided to go on strike to express their discontent with the contested exploitation of a copper deposit by a mining cooperative.
For three days now, the workers of Gécamines Likasi have paralyzed their activities to protest against what they consider to be an illegal occupation of a new site potentially rich in copper. This deposit, known as Djambelwa, has raised great hopes within the Gécamines union, particularly at a time when most of the other deposits in the region are either leased or exhausted.
The situation reached a point of no return when the mining cooperative “Salama”, originally from Kinshasa, took possession of the Djambelwa deposit in a controversial manner, even supported by military forces. This action immediately paralyzed all of Gécamines’ usual activities on the site, sparking anger and incomprehension among the workers.
Etienne Musinde, president of the Likasi union delegation, stressed the crucial importance of Djambelwa for the revival of Gécamines’ production in the region. While this foreign cooperative is setting up without a contract or authorization, local officials of the state-owned company say they do not recognize this transaction.
This incident comes at a time when Gécamines is engaged in several partnerships at the national level, generating considerable revenue for the public company. However, the opacity surrounding the Salama cooperative only adds to the confusion and indignation of Gécamines Likasi agents.
At present, it remains to determine the true owners of the Salama cooperative and to find a solution to this conflict which threatens not only the interests of the public mining company, but also the economic stability of the Likasi region. A case to be followed closely for Fatshimetrie, as this affair highlights the crucial issues of natural resource management in the Democratic Republic of Congo.