DRC - AFRICA BATTERY METALS FORUM

DRC - AFRICA BATTERY METALS FORUM 2023

PROMOTED BY THE VUKA GROUP

TO INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
CORRUPTION STILL EXISTS

NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE 2017
ASSESSMENT OF CORRUPTION RISKS IN THE AWARDING OF MINING RIGHTS IN THE DRC PDF


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...ChAWegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw0kM-taVquP0amGjdMt-PT_


THE FOLLOWING REPORTS FROM:
DRC NGO AND CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS
GLOBAL WITNESS, ZOOM ECO.NET, AFRICA INTELLIGENCE, REUTERS,
COPPERBELT KATANGA MINING, 7SUR7.CD, ECONEWSRDC.COM, MINES.CD,
MAGAZINE LA GUARDIA, IWEBRDC, CONGO-NOUVEAU, ACTUALIT.CD IVYPANDA.COM
AFRICANEWS.COM, FRASERINSTITUTE.ORG, LESOIR.BE, REUTERS.COM, KONGO PRESS


14/12/2021
Investigation sounds alarm on risks in Congo’s nascent lithium sector

A new investigation by Global Witness looking into the Democratic Republic of Congo’s nascent lithium sector sounds the alarm bell on a swathe of potential supply chain risks.

MINING.COM Staff Writer | December 14, 2021 | 5:06 am Battery Metals Africa Lithium

A report by Global Witness states that concessions on and around DRC’s lithium deposits are or were held by or involved people with close business relationships with former President Joseph Kabila.

www.mining.com


12/08/2022
The Episcopal Commission for Natural Resources of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CERN-CENCO) organized, this Thursday, August 11, 2022, a conference under the theme: "How can lithium from Manono in the DRC contribute to the energy transition? ? Multi-stakeholder reflection on the sidelines of the pre-COP27”.

Initiated under the cover of the Ecclesial Network of the Congo Basin Forest (REBAC), this conference brought together several stakeholders, including partner companies such as COMINIERE, AVZ and other shareholders.

zoom-eco.net


05/09/2022
DRC UNITED STATES
US disillusioned over failure to turn DR Congo away from Beijing. Ever since Félix Tshisekedi took power, Washington had hoped he would curb China's huge influence in the country. Four years later, the United States is bitterly disappointed that it has failed to break Beijing's hegemony in strategic mining issues.

www.africaintelligence.com

09/10/2022
Financial crime watchdog adds Congo to money laundering watch list

KINSHASA, Oct 8 The Financial Action Task Force plans to put Democratic Republic of Congo on a list of countries subject to increased monitoring. Congo, a major cobalt and copper producer, will go on the global financial crime watchdog's so-called "grey list" of deficient countries no later than Oct. 21 for shortcomings in stamping out financial corruption, including money laundering and anti-terrorist financing.

The Financial Action Task Force plans to put Democratic Republic of Congo on a list of countries subject to increased monitoring, the country's Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya said on Saturday.

www.reuters.com


29/10/2022
DRC: UC SAS denounces a mining fraud of more than USD 10 million estimated at 60 tons of Coltan and Cassiterite, perpetrated in Manono and Malemba-Nkulu

A mining fraud of more than 60 tons of coltan and cassiterite, valued at more than USD 10 million, is allegedly perpetrated in the territories of Manono and Malemba-Nkulu, in the provinces of Haut Lomami and Tanganyika. This company accuses a certain Hadley Nathus and a Canadian subject named Eric Allard (chairman and CEO of the company TANTALEX) who, acting in complicity with the leaders of COMINIERE, would be in collusion with some authorities of the country, to cover up this large-scale mining fraud. UC SAS alerts the authorities to monitor this situation.

In addition, this company accuses by name the Ministry of Justice of having taken a decision contrary to the rule of law by instructing the Single Window for Business Creation (GUCE), through its letter number 2160/LW10130/APP/CAB/ME/MIN/J&GS/2022 of September 20, 2022, technical service under its supervision, to cancel a legal transfer of shares for the benefit of a Canadian subject "yet condemned on Congolese soil by judgments that have become final". The company UC SAS notes that the instruction of the Ministry of Justice given to the GUCE "violates the laws of the country and proceeds from an abuse of power, insofar as it operates on the judgments that have become final about this assignment: RP19203, RCE 7495, RPO 10247/10267, as well as a pre-law under RAC 2942". In addition, it deplores the "sabotage" of the efforts made by the President of the Republic Felix Tshisekedi, to establish good governance in the DRC, marked by, among other things, respect for the principle of separation of powers and the improvement of the business climate. "The DRC must avoid being influenced by crooked individuals, so-called investors, while recognized speculators, at the risk of tarnishing the image of the entire country, and particularly the Sama Lukonde government...", deplores the UC SAS in its statement.

https://copperbeltkatangamining.com...ing_wp_cron=1681782116.9836490154266357421875



20/11/2022
DRC - Mines: COMINIERE SA accused of blocking the Manono Lithium production project, this mineral prized in the manufacture of electric batteries (Civil Society)

The Congolese state portfolio company COMINIERE SA is accused of continuing to multiply illegal manoeuvres to block the effective start-up of Dathcom's lithium mining project in Manono, Tanganyika province.

President Tshisekedi called to ensure the integrity of the leaders of the COMINIERE
Based on this observation, civil society asks President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi to ensure that the climate of trust reigns between the shareholders of the joint venture Dathcom Mining SA so that operating operations begin urgently and to give orders to the state services for Dathcom Mining SA to be notified and that the 10% of action of the State are effectively registered in the register of the Mining Cadastre, in accordance with mining legislation.

Leaders of the COMINIERE called to resign
Finally, the leaders of COMINIERE SA are called upon to resign taking into account the conclusions of the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) on their management and the sale of the assets of this state enterprise. The organizations and platforms of civil society in the DRC that signed this press release are: CDH, ESPOIR ONGDH, JUSTICIA Asbl, LICOCO, MAX IMPACT, MDR, POM, RCEN, RDN Asbl, CERN/CENCO AND TPRDC.

7sur7.cd


20/11/2022
Civil Society points to the culprit and mobilizes to save the Manono lithium mining project

The lithium mining project in Manono, in the province of Tanganyika, is stalling. And civil society, evolving in the natural resources sector, does not hesitate to name the culprit: Cominière (Congolese mining company), this company of the State Portfolio born from the vestiges of Zaire-Etain. In a statement, made simultaneously, on November 20, 2022, in Kinshasa, Kolwezi, Lubumbashi and Bukavu, these Civil Society Organizations note that "the management of Cominière SA must stop blocking Manono's development and undermining the presidential energy policy and the development of 145 territories by multiplying strategies to block Dathcom Mining". From the outset, these Civil Society Organizations specialized in natural resources issues say they note "agitation and maneuvers on the part of certain administrative and judicial government services as well as Cominière SA in order to freeze the notification of the Operating Permit of Dathcom Mining SA and communicate to it the total amount of surface rights due to the State. Faustin KUEDIASALA 0

econewsrdc.com


21/11/2022
DRC: La Cominière in the sights of the 12 NGOs

A dozen national organizations accuse the public company Cominière S A of blocking the Manono Lithium project. Indeed, to start the exploitation of this strategic ore, there is a prerequisite, it is access to electrical energy

magazinelaguardia.info


28/11/2022
DRC: this is why civil society organizations specializing in mining issues are asking Tshisekedi to dismiss the portfolio minister


In a joint press release, Congolese civil society organizations and platforms specializing in mining issues (Justicia Asbl, LICOCO, RND Asbl, POM, MDR, GANVE, CDH, ESPOIR ONG, RCEN, CERN / CENCO, TPRDC, MAX IMPACT) , who have been monitoring the exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo, ask the President of the Republic to dismiss the Minister of Portfolio of the Government of the Republic By Gilbert Ngonga

iwebrdc.com


30/11/2022

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mines.cd


19/12/2022
Sale of the mining assets of Cominière SA: Technical director Célestin Kibeya accused of complicity and usurpation of competence


Congolese civil society organizations and platforms specializing in mining issues (Justicia Asbl, LICOCO, RND Asbl, POM, MDR, GANVE, CDH, ESPOIR ONG, RCEN, CERN/CENCO, TPRDC, MAX IMPACT), monitoring exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo, accused, in a press release, the technical director Célestin Kibeya Kabemba of being no stranger to the selling off of the mining assets of the Congolese mining company (Cominière SA). Worse still, the man exercises the functions of interim Director General without presidential order, nor decree of the ministry of supervision, that of the Portfolio, even less a report of the Board of directors. "Already on October 26, 2022, when the interim Managing Director Mwamba Athanase was not yet in the hands of Congolese justice, the same Mr. Kibeya had co-signed as '' Managing Director ai '' on behalf of Cominière SA a press release press attributed to UNITED COMINIERE SAS with Eric Allard, a convicted person in Lubumbashi for forgery and use of forgery, and Michel Kitwa Nelkin. “, denounce these NGOs.

congo-nouveau.info


11/04/2023
DRC: CNPAV asks Felix Tshisekedi to reconsider his letter to Joe Biden requesting the lifting of sanctions against Dan Gertler

The Congo is not for sale (CNPAV) sends a letter to the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Félix Tshisekedi to express his "deepest dismay" following the discovery, in the columns of the New York Times newspaper, of his letter dated of May 05, 2022 addressed to his American counterpart Joe Biden, requesting the lifting of sanctions against Dan Gertler. According to CNPAV estimates, the losses for the Congo in cases linked to Dan Gertler amount to more than $2 billion.

actualite.cd


15/04/2023
Corruption in Infrastructure of the Democratic Republic of Congo Research Paper

While the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) emerges from a long period of violence and instability, it also faces a legacy of deep-rooted bribery at all levels of society, threatening social and political institutions with failure. DRC has suffered from modest bribes to high fraud through shady financial dealings. As a result, corruption exists in various sectors, including the police, legal system, public administration, and mining or extractive industry, despite the country’s anti-corruption initiatives.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) corruption exists in various sectors, including the police, legal system, public administration, and mining industry.

ivypanda.com


28/04/2023
Financial Patrol: The IGF flushes out an industrial quantity of duplicates, forgers and cheats among civil servants and agents of the State!

According to the IGF, 145,604 paid agents have incorrect, fanciful and fabricated registration numbers for payroll purposes; 53,328 agents alone have more than one registration number in the file with the same name; 93,356 agents share the same registration number with other equally paid agents; 43,725 agents are paid without their names appearing on the declarative lists from their original departments; while 961 payroll officers are on the payrolls of several departments and many of them are on more than 15 payrolls.

The IGF informs that already, certain cases of obvious irregularities are the subject of deactivation and warns at the same time that the list of 961 agents responsible for processing the payroll involved in the mafia network will be transmitted to the judicial authorities for embezzlement of public funds. It should be remembered that the control of the number of civil servants and agents of the State remains a cancer that has seriously eaten away at the public treasury for decades. Despite all the efforts made by successive Ministers of Public Service, the problem remains very deep.

scooprdc.net


28/04/2023
The Democratic Republic of Congo's Inspectorate General of Finance (IGF) has revealed massive fraud in the public payroll department, where dozens of fictitious employees cost the state nearly $800 million a year.

According to the findings of an audit of the government's payroll, the IGF noted numerous irregularities, with tens of thousands of fictitious employees. Each month, "the monthly loss of earnings suffered by the Treasury is 148,999,749,440.95 Congolese francs (or 66.2 million dollars)," said the IGF in a statement dated Thursday, concerning the audit conducted by its services. The Congolese public finance watchdog says that more than 145,000 paid agents have "incorrect, fictitious and fabricated registration numbers for payroll purposes". Also, more than 40,000 agents are paid without their names appearing on the declaratory lists from the services that employ them, while more than 90,000 agents "share the same registration number with other agents who are also paid.

https://twitter.com/africanews

DRC: nearly $800 million a year escapes the public treasury | Africanews

According to the findings of an audit of the government's payroll, the IGF noted numerous irregularities, with tens of thousands of fictitious employees.

www.africanews.com


04/05/2023

Mining attractiveness: the DRC ranked 82 out of 83 countries in the Fraser Institute report

The latest Fraser Institute annual report ranks the DRC at the bottom of the world ranking of the least attractive states for investment in the mining sector. Out of a total of 83 countries studied, the DRC ranks 82nd in the mining policy index. It is Venezuela that closes the world ranking, thus being the only country listed behind the DRC. According to the Fraser Institute 2022 Report, the investment climate in the mining sector in the DRC is simply unattractive. Following a field visit between August 23 and December 30, 2022, their experts interviewed 1,966 exploration, development and other mining-related companies. They ended up with this very negative rating due to several destabilizing factors, mainly the unilateral increase in the royalty rate, the lack of clarity on the limits of mining exploration concessions and cases of corruption.

https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/annual-survey-of-mining-companies-2022.pdf


12/05/2023

Fraud and corruption in the DRC: damning revelations from the head of the General Inspectorate of Finance​

I would pinpoint five, related to corruption and the embezzlement of public funds. The control of the Central Bank of Congo is the first: we discovered credit cards held by civil servants, politicians. Directly connected to the general account of the Treasury via commercial banks, these cards could be used at any time. The State account could thus be debited for extremely high amounts, amounting to 10,000 dollars per day and purchases could reach the same amount. The Congolese Treasury has thus lost a lot of money.

The audit of the mining sector was the third important case: the examination of all the contracts concluded between 2010 and 2020 by Gécamines (the General Society of Quarries and Mines) revealed serious facts of the selling off of mining assets. Between 2010 and 2020, Gécamines made nearly $2 billion in profits and 97% of that amount was squandered on operating expenses and snacks. In addition, nearly 612 million dollars, paid by Gécamines to the Congolese State in respect of taxes due in 2010 and 2019 and paid into the Treasury account, have disappeared at the level of the Central Bank of Congo.... The affair of Chinese contracts, opaque and unbalanced, is resounding…

www.lesoir.be


16/05/2023
World Bank suspends $1 billion worth of project funding in Congo

KINSHASA, May 16 (Reuters) - The World Bank has suspended funding for humanitarian and development projects in Democratic Republic of Congo worth more than $1 billion after the government dissolved the project fund without warning, the lender said.

The letter also said that the bank was still waiting for documentation on the status of $91 million which had already been advanced for the projects out of the total $1.04 billion.

Four of Congo's main opposition politicians wrote to the leaders of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the African Development Bank last week asking them to conduct an audit of their funds in Congo, saying they suspected misuse.

www.reuters.com


11/06/2023
DRC excluded from the list of investments of the French group ERAMET, following the blocking of the PE of lithium of Manono by the government


It was last March that the DR Congo and the EU announced an agreement on rare minerals such as copper, cobalt and lithium, the two parties initiated negotiations for a partnership on the exploitation of rare minerals and strategic, for the next few months a "win-win" memorandum of understanding and a roadmap are announced on this cooperation and investment agreement in a mining sector in the DRC, so the EU intends to fight the Chinese monopoly in the DRC , reduce its dependence on China and accelerate its ecological transition.

The EU is focusing above all on the development of a value chain in the DR Congo and the creation of a market for the battery, electric vehicle and renewable energy industry, as pointed out by Mrs. Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships :
“We want to create value in the DRC, local added value. Not just exporting your raw materials to Finland, Europe and then refining them in Europe. We do n't want to create dependency, nor do we want neocolonialism. We really want to create local value and we want to create a win-win partnership. »

During the visit of President Emmanuel Macron to Kinshasa, the two countries notably concluded an agreement for the mapping and sustainable management of the mining resources which abound in the Congolese subsoil, French companies and institutes will be invited to map and invest in the mining sector of the DR Congo according to this partnership. But here is following the blocking of the delivery of the exploitation permit 13359 by the Congolese government to DATHCOM, of which the group AVZ MINERALS owns 75%, which must allow the start of the exploitation of the lithium of Manono, the French group, ERAMET has just excluded the DR Congo from its investment strategy in Africa for the time being.

Geoff Streeton , director of strategy for the company, and Christophe Thillier , in charge of exploration, have also drawn a line under the DRC for the moment, despite having identified its lithium potential.

The difficulties encountered by the Australian AVZ MINERALS on its Manono project in Tanganyika in the south-east of the country gave the French company some food for thought, which has chosen to focus its investments in this sector on its Centenario-Ratones project in Argentina," said the media, Africa Intelligence. ERAMET is a French mining and metallurgical company with a workforce of 9,090 employees spread over 17 mining and industrial sites in 15 countries. In 2022, it achieved a turnover of 5.014 billion euros. On November 8, 2021, ERAMET announced the launch of its lithium mine project in the Andean highlands of northern Argentina. The construction of a plant will start in early 2022 and end in 2024 with the aim of producing 24,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year. Much of its lithium production will supply the European battery construction sector.

June 11, 2023Kiki Kienge
kongopress.com
 
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Here’s a little reminder of how the DRC government has shit on us over the last two years

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"AVZ was invited by the DRC government to implement this agreement"

AVZ Minerals and DATHCOM since the genesis of the creation of the DRC Battery Council (DBC)?​

In November 2021, AVZ Minerals represented by Nigel Ferguson Managing Director of AVZ, Balthazar Tshiseke Deputy Managing Director and Director of Dathcom, including Serge NganduGeneralAffairs Director of AVZ's Dathcom Mining subsidiary, was part of the Africa Business Forum. It was in particular in the presence of SE the Head of State, Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo and his Zambian counterpart, SE Hakainde Hichilema.

The forum was led by the Minister of Industry, Julien Paluku in the presence of other members of the Congolese and Zambian government, including Mrs. Ève Bazaiba Masudi Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Mrs. Antoinette Nsamba Kalamba Kalambayi Minister of Mines.

The objective of the forum was to promote the development of an industrial value chain and a battery market, in the DRC in particular and in Africa in general.
Here is the statement of Nigel Ferguson, Managing Director of AVZ Minerals at this Forum in Kinshasa:

"The signing of this commitment provides a solid platform for the development of a battery mineral industry in the DRC, which AVZ wholeheartedly supports, and is also an incredibly significant development as we enter the final stages of obtaining the mining license and permits for the Manono project. The DRC and Africa are strategically positioned to play a central role in the global transition to clean energy and de-carbonization and the Manono project will greatly contribute to improving the lot of the Congolese people, which AVZ Minerals unreservedly supports. ”

At the end of this forum, the Congolese government as well as the technical and financial partners; CEA, AFC and BADEA signed an agreement for the development of a battery industry in the DRC.

Subsequently, AVZ was invited by the Congolese government to implement this agreement signed at the Africa Business Forum:

"We are delighted to be the only mining company in the making to have been invited to join the new DRC Battery Council, which will be chaired by the President of the DRC and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, as well as a myriad of other important organizations. "said Nigel Ferguson CEO of AVZ Minerals.

A roadmap in particular was agreed at the Africa Business Forum, which will consist of a public and private partnership to support the Congolese government for the implementation of the industrial value chain of Manono lithium batteries.

The Forum had as its objective, in particular, the planning for the creation of a Battery Council in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DBC) and the construction of an EZ (Special Economic Zone) between Greater Katanga and Zambia for the realization of an industrial supply chain of sustainable mineral batteries based on Manono lithium.

Here are the members and composition of the DRC Battery Council (DBC): Steering Committee: The President of the DRC and the Executive Secretary of the ECA, as well as eminent businessmen.

Members: Afreximbank, AFC, AfDB, BADEA, ALSF, UN Global Compact, selected NGOs.

Public: Ministers of Industry, Mining, Economy, Environment, Science and Technology of the DRC.
Private: Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gecamines; AVZ Minerals; Federation of Congo Enterprises (FEC); African Association of Automobile Manufacturers; Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund; Bosch.

University: Steinbeis University- Berlin; University of Lubumbashi (Polytechnic); University of Zambia (UNZA); University of Witwatersrand (SA); University of Mines and Technology (Ghana).

kongopress.com
 
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Read the AVZ story. AVZ Minerals spent 6 years & millions of dollars developing the Manono Project, only to have the project, ML & ownership delayed by the illegal actions of Cominiere, Chinese company Zijin and Simon Cong (Read the IGF report)

For 6 years in the DRC AVZ Minerals carried out Soil Sampling; Field Mapping; Consulting; Drilling; Metallurgical Testing; FEED Study; Securing a lease on an Industrial Site for logistics including road haulage, rail & port services & infrastructure rehab to the road from Manono

AVZ produced a 160-page Definitive Feasibility Study; Received DFS Technical Approval; Had a SEZ Agreement; Tendered for Mining Infrastructure and followed the DRC Mining Code. AVZ satisfied all required approvals - Environmental Approval; Financial Capability (through Raising Capital, Negotiating Funding with Pan African DFI’s, Arranging funding and Offtake Agreements with CATH, Obtaining Several Offtake Agreements for both Lithium and Tin) Favourable Cadastral Opinion & Favourable Technical Opinion of the DFS for the Manono project. The Ministerial Decree to award the ML was granted last April then taken away

AVZ Minerals also produced an 85-page Sustainability Report committed to Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) including Socio - economic benefits, Preserving environmental values, Providing a transparent and ethical supply chain, Ending poverty, Improving health and education, Economic growth and employment, Minimising greenhouse gas emissions, Preserving biodiversity, Restoring the Mpiana Mwanga Power Plant and Supplying energy and contributing to the local communities. AVZ's Environmental Study and Impact Assessment Reports included 7 ESIA's and Groundwater Management.

Now, following the DRC taking away AVZ's ownership and delaying the Mining License, AVZ has been forced to take the DRC to International Centre For Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
 
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07/06/2023
The National Business Climate Barometer (BNCA) survey, covering four hundred and three companies in thirteen sectors of the national economy, gave the Democratic Republic of Congo a satisfaction rate of 37% in this sector.

At this stage, the BNCA gives a satisfaction score of 37%. This survey, which took place from January 24 to March 27, 2023, involved 403 companies in 13 sectors of the national economy

"Indeed, whether it is the quality of relations between the public administration and economic operators, corruption and security disturbances, infrastructure, legal and judicial security, the tax and parafiscal system, access to financing for companies,... they have exposed the scourges that plague and gnaw at our economic environment," added Mr. Tshisekedi.

This summary report presenting the opinions of business leaders on the changing business climate, while highlighting the factors that have most influenced the business environment

The National Business Climate Barometer (BNCA) in the DRC was launched on February 15, 2023 by the Business Climate Cell, a structure of the Presidency. It is a tool for promoting public-private partnership that is used to periodically assess the degree of satisfaction of economic operators with the reforms and other practices related to the business environment in the DRC.

www.radiookapi.net


12/07/2023
Violations of the mining code in the DRC: Éric Ngalula challenges the Minister of Mines

Introduction:

In a context where mining represents a major economic challenge in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), compliance with the mining code and the rules governing the marketing of mineral substances is essential.

However, MP Éric Ngalula believes that a flagrant violation of the mining code was committed through a ministerial decree. In a written question addressed to the Minister of Mines, Antoinette N'Samba, he asks for an explanation of this decision which compromises the interests of the Congolese people.

Non-compliance with the mining code called into question:

Éric Ngalula points out that ministerial decree n°00049/CABMIN/MINES/01/2022, dated February 22, 2022, contradicts article 85 of law n°007/2002 on the Mining Code revised in 2018. According to this article, only the holders of the exploitation title have the right to market the mining products. However, the ministerial decree challenges this freedom by establishing a tender system for the sale of mineral substances supervised by the CEEC (Economic Commission for Employment and Consumption).

A deplorable situation for players in the sector:

This intentional violation of the mining code has harmful consequences for players in the mining sector, in particular the company SACIM. By limiting the freedom to sell mineral substances, the ministerial decree prevents the company from selling its products to the best bidder and at prices corresponding to the current market. Éric Ngalula considers this situation to be deplorable, because it goes against the interests of the Congolese people.

The request for explanations from the Minister of Mines:

Faced with this violation of the mining code, the deputy Éric Ngalula asks the Minister of Mines, Antoinette N'Samba, to revoke her ministerial decree. He also wishes to know the reasons which led to this decision which goes against the legal provisions in force. Determined to ensure compliance with the legal texts, Éric Ngalula affirms that in the event of non-response from the Minister or the maintenance of the decision, he will take the necessary measures to enforce the law, whether by interpellation or by supporting other Members who will go down this road.

Conclusion:

The violation of the mining code in the DRC, as denounced by the deputy Éric Ngalula, raises essential questions on the respect of the rules which govern the exploitation and the marketing of mineral substances. This situation compromises the interests of the Congolese people and requires explanations from the Minister of Mines. It is essential to ensure that the legal provisions are respected in order to ensure transparent and fair mining for the economic development of the DRC.

July 2023
Foreign Direct Investment in the DRC


The DRC business climate is especially poor, and foreign investors are facing a number of challenges (corruption, lengthy administrative procedures and administrative fees) in establishing their businesses in the DRC.

While there laws protecting investors in the country, the court system is often slow, so disputes can extend for years.

In 2018, the mining code was amended, increasing taxes and royalties, requiring that at least 10% of the capital of mining companies be owned by indigenous citizens, and severely restricting the export of unprocessed minerals under new mining permit.

In addition, the humanitarian and conflict situation in the east of the country and the stormy relations with neighbouring countries (Rwanda, Uganda and Angola) are factors which contribute to persistent insecurity in the country.

In recent years, some of the biggest Chinese mining companies have heavily invested in the country, especially in cobalt and copper mines, with Chinese companies currently owning 15 of the 17 cobalt operations in the DRC.

Weak Points
Several factors hinder the Democratic Republic of Congo’s business climate:
- a difficult business climate (predatory tax agencies, limited access to capital, difficulties enforcing contracts due to the weak judicial system, weak banking sector)
- endemic corruption at all levels of government
- a shortage of skilled labor
- political uncertainty, with ongoing armed conflict in the eastern part of the country
- weak infrastructure (transport, energy, telecommunications)
- high level of poverty
- political instability

 
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Xerof

Biding my Time 1971
excellent compilation mate. well done(y)
 
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15/08/2023
Children mining cassiterite in a quarry in Manono (Tanganyika).

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Several children from the territory of Manono (Tanganyika) devote themselves to the artisanal exploitation of cassiterite during this period of school holidays. A team from Radio Okapi on a mission in the area made this observation.

These children claim to be orphans. They are looking for minerals to sell to support themselves.

Specialists in mining governance decry the lack of intervention by the authorities or humanitarian organizations to identify and help these children get out of the quarries

In the quarries of Mukieme Makila, Libende or Milles bêches in Manono, children are looking for cassiterite every day.

They say they do this work to meet the needs that parents cannot satisfy.
“I came to work to earn money for my school supplies. My father died long ago. If I had help, I wouldn't be here”, explains one of them.

A child can earn 3,000 Congolese francs per day, the equivalent of just over US$1.
But this amount is less than the effort provided.

A parent makes this call:
“Let the authorities or UNICEF intervene to support these children, who are 14, 15, 10 years old, so that they no longer go to the mining quarries”.

The presence of children in mining quarries has consequences for their growth and health, says the rector of the University of Manono and expert in mining governance, Ilunga Yolola.

The latter deplores the inaction of the authorities in the face of this phenomenon:
“As there are no spotlights, naturally state actors are less mobilized, less concerned about environmental and social issues related to the production of these minerals. Non-governmental organizations, both national and international, are unfortunately not present and Manono is not part of their priority area for action”.

At the territorial level, efforts are being made but unfortunately they are not enough, indicate some local sources.



21/08/2023
Since receiving $180m from Glencore, the Congolese government has not fulfilled its commitments to its legal team from the South African legal firm Centurion Law Group - which NJ Ayuk heads - and has decided to file for arbitration before the ICC. [...]



25/08/2023
RDC – Scandal: Ministers Adèle Kayinda, Antoinette N'samba and Nicolas Kazadi involved in a mineral mafia which is causing the country to lose $500 million/month (UNC Deputy Alfred Maisha) via @InfosdirectC

 
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08/07/2023

Nigel Munro Ferguson
is a geologist and businessman who has been in several different companies. Mr. Ferguson holds the position of Managing Director and Executive Director at AVZ Minerals Ltd. and is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists.

In the past, Nigel Munro Ferguson was National Director at Ashanti Goldfields Co.

He was educated in one of the best private schools in Hobart, Friends, where he played rugby and rowed.

After a degree in geology from the University of Tasmania, he began working in mining exploration across several countries around the world. Africa became his specialty, and he ran Ashanti Goldfields in Tanzania, where he bought a gold mine that is now one of the most profitable in AngloGold Ashanti.

Appointed Technical Director of AVZ Minerals in February 2017 by its then President and Chief Executive Officer Klaus Eckof, in 2018, a year after Ferguson became General Manager replacing Mr. Eckof, AVZ said it had discovered "the largest hard rock spodumene deposit" in the world near Manono, a city located in an area formerly called "Triangle of Death" with the 1998 geologists from Dathcom Mining, the partnership company with Cominière and Dathomir.

First viable feasibility study at Cominière

Thanks to the technical work and explorations carried out by Congolese and Australian geologists under the technical direction of experienced geologist Graeme Godsman Johnston, AVZ valued the only mining research permit that remained in its portfolio after a suspicious transfer of other permits to HYVEST and HYSEN partnerships with Chinese and a Congolese politician.

Pending the notification of the Operating Permit (EP) for permit 13359, the project revives the hope for residents to secure their livelihoods.

While President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi calls on serious investors to explore together mineral resources in Katanga and Kasai, Nigel Ferguson and AVZ are revealed to be among the right natural and legal persons that the Head of State needs for mines in the DRC.

After recovering the 13359 research permit and the Dathcom Mining joint venture in early 2017 by buying 60% of Dathomir in the project and paying USD6 million to the state-state company Cominière, AVZ had more or less 30,000 meters of diamond drilling carried out, as well as RC drilling and then carried out a feasibility study (within the legal deadline, in 3 years

Energy transition and infrastructure

If exploited, Manono lithium will help the DRC to better compete with other producing countries such as China, Argentina or Chile.

The investment cost of about $600 million to build a plant, buy mining equipment to the processing plant, the crusher-crusher of materials to pass through a dense separation plant that will be followed by sorting by size to have about 700,000 tons per year of the product called SE6, which is 6% lithium spodumene concentrate, was considered normal and acceptable by First Quantum's Ir

The metallurgical testing work undertaken by Kingston Process Metallurgy in Canada confirmed that the lithium sulphate plant process proposed by AVZ to treat lithium from Dathcom Mining in Manono was technically feasible and that the 1.5 kg of primary lithium sulfate produced was suitable as a raw material in battery factories.

The production of lithium by AVZ and Dathcom is also something that some villagers expect because they want to ensure their livelihoods. If the authorities issue the license, lithium production could become the main provider of jobs in Manono.

Comprehensive technical studies of due diligence of the railways to Lobito and Dar es Salaam have been conducted and both are considered suitable for the export of the product. This is part of the construction of basic infrastructure by serious miners for the benefit of the country and the populations, Mark Bristow and Kibali did so with the national road that goes from Doko (Watsa territory) to Aru (Ituri territory) on the border with Uganda. Road rehabilitated in clay, maintained by Kibali despite paying the toll at the Foner.

Two main product export routes were selected, namely Manono at the intermodal intermediate station of Kabondo Dianda (Province of Haut Lomami) by road, then on the SNCC to Tenke and the TAZARA railway to the port of Dar es Salaam.

The second goes from Manono to the head of the Kabondo Dianda line by road, then on SNCC to Tenke and towards the Angolan railway (CFB) to the port of Lobito. A third possible option is also available to Walvis Bay via the Walvis Bay Corridor.

Manono Special Economic Zone

AVZ worked closely with the government officials concerned, mainly Minister Julien Paluku of Industry, to facilitate a special economic zone around the Manono project, which the Head of State spoke to Mining Indaba on February 7, 2023, which will offer a tax regime favorable to the project and facilitate industrialization in this part of the country.

This is the only monster mining project of President Fatshi's current mandate and which will produce significant lasting results in communities and make it more than popular in a province that has experienced the throes of the war imposed by Rwanda through the RCD rebel movement.

In addition and like the Kibali Gold Mine mining project led by Mark Bristow, AVZ Power worked with the technical services of the National Ministry of Energy and Hydraulic Resources and Cominière, according to several documentary sources and testimonies from the General Secretariat for Energy, until producing a feasibility study on the rehabilitation of the Mpiana Mwanga I and II hydroelectric power plant, in

The refurbishment of the hydroelectric power plant would include the installation of up to 30.9 MW via three new turbine generators in Mpiana Mwanga's number two turbine room.

Low carbon footprint, green and responsible mining

In addition, an independent study on greenhouse gases also indicated that the Manono project was likely to have one of the lowest carbon footprints of all hard rock lithium mines in the world. This was mainly due to AVZ's strategic location next to the Mpiana Mwanga hydroelectric power plant which, once renovated, was to provide 99% of the Manono project's electricity needs.

The greenhouse gas assessment, which was carried out by the world's leading environmental and sustainability Environmental Resource Management (ERM) consultants, assessed the emissions associated with all operations over the 20-year life of the Manono project, processing facilities and road transport of products.

AVZ is also studying and planning important greenhouse gas mitigation measures, including:

The purchase of an electric mining fleet once commercially viable equipment is available;

The generation of hydrogen from surplus renewable electricity to allow the use of fuel cell electric vehicles; and the establishment of a 5,000-hectare sequestration plantation.

"We will continue to strive to improve our greenhouse gas emissions profile as we develop the world-class Manono project," Ferguson said."In the end, we want the electricity produced by the Mpiana Mwanga hydroelectric plant to be used to operate all our mining equipment, making the Manono project a 100% green mine".

The technical experience present at the service of the country

Nigel Ferguson has been active in mining exploration in the DRC since about 2000.

He created and managed several companies, some of which were very successful and others were not.

In 2004, Nigel and his team discovered the Kibali gold deposit in the Haut-Uélé province. It was with the Australian company Moto Goldfields listed on the Australian Stock Exchange that Klaus Eckof headed, who knows him very well and respects him. She was involved in a standard JV with the DRC government.

After their discovery, they had drilled the mineralized body and finally sold it to Randgold. This mine, discovered by Nigel and his team, now underlies much of the DRC's economy in the northeastern part of the country.

He also launched Tiger Resources (which was a partner of Gécamines in the Kipoi Mining Company - SEK, in Haut-Katanga on the Likasi Road), a company that was also lost for the mismanaged Chinese commercial interests leading to its closure and the loss of jobs.

His management team at AVZ was handpicked for their collective experience with a Congolese engineer Serge Ngandu who led Areva's operations in the Central African Republic and worked for several multinationals at home and around the world.

At Dathcom Mining, they developed the technical opportunity demonstrating that they are not "adventurers" but explorers, designers and developers of model mining projects with a long experience of success in the DRC.

The vision of AVZ and its boss Nigel Ferguson (developing a monster, complete and fully green integrative project by developing the community that goes from exploration to production without requiring the country for electricity) crosses that of the Head of State Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi, the Government of the Republic would do useful work by working on win-win partnerships in the critical minerals sector of Katanga

AVZ is the first mining partner of the Congolese state to offer it the taking of shares on the stock exchange in Australia as part of the JV Dathcom Mining. An example to be followed by others, an opportunity for the country.

By Benita Nkaya

 
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Read the AVZ story. AVZ Minerals spent 6 years & millions of dollars developing the Manono Project, only to have the project, ML & ownership delayed by the illegal actions of Cominiere, Chinese company Zijin and Simon Cong (Read the IGF report)

For 6 years in the DRC AVZ Minerals carried out Soil Sampling; Field Mapping; Consulting; Drilling; Metallurgical Testing; FEED Study; Securing a lease on an Industrial Site for logistics including road haulage, rail & port services & infrastructure rehab to the road from Manono

AVZ produced a 160-page Definitive Feasibility Study; Received DFS Technical Approval; Had a SEZ Agreement; Tendered for Mining Infrastructure and followed the DRC Mining Code. AVZ satisfied all required approvals - Environmental Approval; Financial Capability (through Raising Capital, Negotiating Funding with Pan African DFI’s, Arranging funding and Offtake Agreements with CATH, Obtaining Several Offtake Agreements for both Lithium and Tin) Favourable Cadastral Opinion & Favourable Technical Opinion of the DFS for the Manono project. The Ministerial Decree to award the ML was granted last April then taken away

AVZ Minerals also produced an 85-page Sustainability Report committed to Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) including Socio - economic benefits, Preserving environmental values, Providing a transparent and ethical supply chain, Ending poverty, Improving health and education, Economic growth and employment, Minimising greenhouse gas emissions, Preserving biodiversity, Restoring the Mpiana Mwanga Power Plant and Supplying energy and contributing to the local communities. AVZ's Environmental Study and Impact Assessment Reports included 7 ESIA's and Groundwater Management.

Now, following the DRC taking away AVZ's ownership and delaying the Mining License, AVZ has been forced to take the DRC to International Centre For Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
 
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26/07/2023
Bin59 Posted

I emailed the company a number of weeks ago asking if they were still the Cobalt Plus Sponsor of the DRC-Africa Mining Forum - no reply.

Yesterday a Zambian mining magazine published a change of date for the event and also mentions AVZ Minerals as a sponsor so I am leaning towards believing that our involvement is legit. Imagine if the event was held, AVZ presented its updated figures and the investment interest that would generate in the Manono project. 😊

fmdrc-zambia.com

DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum ready for crucial September launch

DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum ready for crucial September launch
fmdrc-zambia.com

DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum ready for crucial September launch​

DRC industry and mining ministers confirmed to attend new platform”
By Staff Reporter

25th Jul 2023
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https://fmdrc-zambia.com/drc-africa-battery-metals-forum-ready-for-crucial-september-launch/#

The inaugural edition of the DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum, taking place in Kinshasa from 20–21 September* this year, will contribute to the establishment of an inclusive and equitable battery metals industry, support large-scale sustainable growth, local beneficiation and socio-economic development. This is according to Samukelo Madlabane, mining events director at the VUKA Group, the organisers of the new forum.

*These are new, confirmed dates.

“The DRC’s Ministry of Industry has been tasked by the government to build a battery metals industry in Africa, with a state-owned firm processing some of the battery minerals in the country and other African countries playing various roles in the value chain,” states Madlabane.

He adds: “In an effort to curb the effects of climate change, the world needs to go through an energy transition that will be driven largely by battery metals. With the DRC endowed with these minerals, the country needs a platform for dialogue on how to leverage the demand. The theme of the conference is: Creating wealth for the DRC and Africa’s battery metals industry value chain.”

Broad-based sustainable growth

Fresh from yet another hugely successful, record-breaking DRC Mining Week in Lubumbashi, a long-running flagship event organised by the VUKA Group, Madlabane and his team are only too aware of the crucial timing of the DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum and that the stakes are high.

He explains: “There is a need to ensure that as the DRC builds this new industry, that it does so in an inclusive and equitable manner, and it is critical to have all the players in the value chain in the room to make sure it happens in that manner.”

Other than for investors, the DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum is a must- attend forum for the cobalt, copper, lithium, nickel, graphite, manganese, rare earths and 3T producers as well as battery makers, traders, investors and NGOs in Africa.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has given the continent renewed hope and it unlocks new opportunities, such as local beneficiation. According to a Bloomberg study, it would be financially more reasonable to produce batteries in the DRC and in other African countries rather than producing them in China. “The birth of this timeous conference is the perfect storm, the conditions are just right,” adds Madlabane.

Key discussion points at the inaugural two-day conference will include:

– The inter-ministerial dialogue of local transformation and building a local economy
– DRC and Zambia partnering in battery production
– What this means for the continent
– The mining operators’ opinions and contributions on matters related to local processing
– Energy transition metals, strategic issues, compliance and production standards
– The socio-economic plan for sustainable growth
– Developing incredible investor incentives
– Transparent value chains and governance

Broad support

The excitement and anticipation to define and develop this new mining sector are palpable among the public ánd private sectors. Confirmed to engage in the constructive dialogue at DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forumare:

– DRC Minister of Industry, H.E. Julien Paluku Kahongya
– DRC Minister of Mines, H.E. Antoinette N’Samba Kalambayi

Industry leaders that have pledged their support include AVZ Minerals Limited as cobalt plus sponsor; Fair Cobalt Alliance, Tantalex Lithium Resources, Tenke Fungurume Mining and CMOC Kisanfu Mining as cobalt sponsors; AxisHouse Group as copper sponsor; Elephant Trade as nickel sponsor; and Afritec, Carmeuse Handyman’s Lime, Knight Piésold Consulting and MMG as bronze sponsors.

There are still various sponsorship opportunities for sector leaders available to promote their sustainable mining industry practices to government officials, key leaders and decision-makers.

Flagship events

The DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum launch event forms part of the already impressive mining portfolio of the VUKA Group (formerly Clarion Events Africa), with long-running flagship events, such as DRC Mining Week, which was held in Lubumbashi from 14–16 June this year to record numbers (including 8000+ attendees and six international pavilions) andNigeria Mining Weekas well as Mining Review Africa, a leading industry magazine and online news platform.

More information is available on the event website: www.drc-africabatterymetals.com.

To register to attend, click here.
 
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BEISHA

Top 20
19/07/2023
Wales and @BEISHA expand your imagination….

Imagine if we were to partner with CATH and CMOC…. We could become the world’s biggest lithium miner (or mining deposit) with the backing of the world’s biggest lithium battery maker and the world’s biggest cobalt producer.

It wasn’t that long ago @The Fox posted links to articles where both Felix and Julien Paluku were both having discussions with CATH and CMOC about their planned lithium battery manufacturing in Haut-Katanga.

In the latest advertisement for the DRC-AFRICA Battery Metals event in September, AVZ is still listed as a Cobalt Plus Sponsor.

Everyone has their own opinion, mine is to hope for a partnership sharing CAPEX rather than any undervalued TO offer, but that’s just my opinion

None of the above is from any information I have had passed on to me, it’s my own opinion from reading the news and keeping up with current events


20/07/2024
Wow BEISH, a lot of questions and I was going to have the day off…. Anyway I’ll give you some of my reasoning

CMOC came into the equation when Felix and Julien decided to have discussions with both them and CATH together regarding building a battery manufacturing facility in Haut-Katanga recently and from memory they wanted it sorted by the time the DRC-AFRICA Battery Metals event takes place in September

My opinion is that a Chinese company has to be involved given everything I have read on DRC - Chinese relations and mining. If CMOC.were to become involved, it wouldn’t be through the same nefarious avenue that Zijin took.

CMOC also has a partnership with Gecamines in the Tenke Fungurume copper cobalt mine and if you wanted to cast your imagination further you could even speculate that a partnership involving this combination would give the DRC what it wants which is a greater portion of ownership in the project, and also the possibilities of the project and infrastructure being built in a shorter timeframe, the CAPEX being shared, the DRC accepting this as a more favourable outcome than being sued in the ICSID and the project being held up even longer, and a shorter time frame to production including PLS and or li carbonate.

My view is, a shorter time to production and a PLS plant with less CAPEX for us would also see a much faster increase in our share price.

If a joint venture occurred, the ownership would be in Dathcom, not AVZ, and if AVZ remained majority shareholder in Dathcom we wouldn’t lose control in either.

In the above scenario, China and DRC have a stake in the project and if it were to happen, I would be pretty sure AVZ would have it legally water tight ahead of such an agreement as we now have the experience and benefit of hindsight.

CATH wouldn’t be keen on forking out all the money to build a battery manufacturing plant but they do want the lithium and CMOC have similar ambitions. There was a reason Sama Lukonde let CMOC get away with not being audited and why they have recently signed an agreement with Gecamines


22/07/2023
I would think the numbers around the $15 to 20 billion Chilla, so for me $5 to $6 with sharp increases coming at stages when construction completed PLS plant under construction and production is increased…. Did I mention the possibility of each new core assay showing more high grade pegmatites

If we were in a JV with CATH and possibly CMOC construction time and CAPEX both cut by 40% so sticking with the same share price


22/07/2023
The DRC won’t want the ICSID arbitration to go ahead and would rather an agreement or compromise with AVZ be reached

The DRC still has the power to award the ML to AVZ (majority holder in Dathcom)

AVZ hold a legal advantage over the DRC in the upcoming ICSID, plus the DRC legal team is weak with one of their French lawyers recently exposed for corruption
Yes , completely understand your POV, CATL & CMOC on paper would be a wonderful combination with AVZ, with massibe balance sheets to share the load of capex, build a mine with quality and time efficiency and get to production ASAP............I still hold that dream !

Its just a matter of TRUST for me, the devil is in the detail.....:ninja:

I await the ASX bell for more clarity.
 
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DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum ready for crucial September launch

The inaugural edition of the DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum, taking place in Kinshasa from 20–21 September* this year, will contribute to the establishment of an inclusive and equitable battery metals industry, support large-scale sustainable growth, local beneficiation and socio-economic development. This is according to Samukelo Madlabane, mining Events Director at the VUKA Group, the organisers of the new forum.

“The DRC’s Ministry of Industry has been tasked by the government to build a battery metals industry in Africa, with a state-owned firm processing some of the battery minerals in the country and other African countries playing various roles in the value chain,” states Madlabane.

Broad-based sustainable growth
Fresh from yet another hugely successful, record-breaking DRC Mining Week in Lubumbashi, a long-running flagship event organised by the VUKA Group, Madlabane and his team are only too aware of the crucial timing of the DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum and that the stakes are high.

There is a need to ensure that as the DRC builds this new industry, that it does so in an inclusive and equitable manner, and it is critical to have all the players in the value chain in the room to make sure it happens in that manner.”

Other than for investors, the DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum is a must- attend forum for the cobalt, copper, lithium, nickel, graphite, manganese, rare earths and 3T producers as well as battery makers, traders, investors and NGOs in Africa.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has given the continent renewed hope and it unlocks new opportunities, such as local beneficiation. According to a Bloomberg study, it would be financially more reasonable to produce batteries in the DRC and in other African countries rather than producing them in China. “The birth of this timeous conference is the perfect storm, the conditions are just right,” adds Madlabane.

Key discussion points at the inaugural two-day conference will include:
- The inter-ministerial dialogue of local transformation and building a local economy
- DRC and Zambia partnering in battery production
- What this means for the continent
- The mining operators’ opinions and contributions on matters related to local processing
- Energy transition metals, strategic issues, compliance and production standards
- The socio-economic plan for sustainable growth
- Developing incredible investor incentives
- Transparent value chains and governance


Broad support
The excitement and anticipation to define and develop this new mining sector are palpable among the public and private sectors.

Confirmed to engage in the constructive dialogue at DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum are:

- DRC Minister of Industry, H.E. Julien Paluku Kahongya
- DRC Minister of Mines, H.E. Antoinette N’Samba Kalambayi

Industry leaders that have pledged their support include

AVZ Minerals Limited as cobalt plus sponsor;

Fair Cobalt Alliance, Tantalex Lithium Resources, Tenke Fungurume Mining and CMOC Kisanfu Mining as cobalt sponsors;

AxisHouse Group as copper sponsor;
Elephant Trade as nickel sponsor; and Afritech Sarl., Carmeuse Handyman’s Lime, Knight Piésold Consulting and MMG as bronze sponsors.

There are still various sponsorship opportunities for sector leaders available to promote their sustainable mining industry practices to government officials, key leaders and decision-makers.

Flagship events
The DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum launch event forms part of the already impressive mining portfolio of the VUKA Group (formerly Clarion Events Africa), with long-running flagship events, such as DRC Mining Week, which was held in Lubumbashi from 14–16 June this year to record numbers (including 9000+ attendees and six international pavilions) and Nigeria Mining Week as well as Mining Review Africa, a leading industry magazine and online news platform.

More information is available on the event website: www.drc-africabatterymetals.com. To register to attend, click here.

About VUKA Group
The VUKA Group (formerly Clarion Events Africa) is a leading Cape Town-based and multi-award-winning organiser of exhibitions, conferences and digital events across the continent in the mining, infrastructure, energy, mobility, ecommerce and CX sectors. Other well-known events by VUKA Group include Enlit Africa, Africa’s Green Economy Summit, ECOM Africa, CEM Africa and Smarter Mobility Africa.

Premier media partner
Mining Review Africa (MRA) is the leading monthly magazine and digital platform in the African mining industry. Every month, MRA reaches an audience of over 50,000 influential mining authorities and key decision makers through a variety of channels, including an interactive website, videos and print distribution at all major mining conferences in Africa and across the globe.


DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum dates and location:
Dates: 20–21 September 2023
Location: Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana, Kinshasa, DRC
Website: https://www.drc-africabatterymetals.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BatteryDrc
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/BatteryMetalsDRC/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/africa-battery-metals-drc/

Media contact:
Annemarie Roodbol
Email: annemarie.roodbol@wearevuka.com




 
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07/09/2023

DRC: the NGO Justicia ASBL concerned about the ministerial decision to forfeit mining permits​

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Antoinette Nsamba Kalambayi.
Minister of Mines of the DRC.

Radio Okapi/Ph. Cynthia Bashizi

Justicia ASBL, an organization for the promotion and protection of human rights and development, is deeply concerned about the decisions taken by the Minister of Mines, concerning the forfeiture of operating permits granted to a few mining companies operating in the provinces of Haut-Katanga and Lualaba.

This NGO expressed its concern in a statement published on Wednesday, September 6 in Lubumbashi.

The coordinator of Justicia ASBL, Me Timothée Mbuya, says that this decision aims in particular to satisfy the interests of some Congolese political figures close to the presidential family:

"This decision is not based on any legal or legal basis but rather on political motivations because according to the investigations we have conducted, there are members of the family of the Head of State who are interested in these operating permits and who employ with the help of the Republican Guard and elements of the 22nd military region, mining cooperatives on this site and therefore in a completely illegal and undue way".

Me Mbuya fears that in the event that there is no dialogue, the partners Boss Mining and COMIDE, concerned by this decision, may refer the matter to the international bodies of the arbitration committee, in which case Congo would lose.

 
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12/09/2023
Sam Posted


NEWSECONOMY

Amnesty International report on battery minerals and human rights violated in the DRC by foreign multinationals and authorities​

September 12, 2023
Kiki Kienge

A message was sent to the President of the Republic, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi by Amnesty International asking him to put an end to forced evictions and other human rights abuses committed in copper and cobalt mines.

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This is a report presented this September 12 which is based on the extractions of cobalt and copper in Grand Katanga and precisely in the province of Lualaba, minerals which are used in the manufacture of electric batteries, particularly for vehicles and other products. for renewable energies, a global challenge for the survival of our planet.

A report co-written by Candy Ofime and Jean-Mobert Menga , all Amnesty International researchers and collaborators, who said:

“We found multiple violations of legal protections provided by both international human rights standards and domestic law, as well as blatant disregard for the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. »

THE REPORT :
Several facts going against human rights were noted by the two OMG international researchers in Greater Katanga, especially:

Demolished housing ;
In the Cité Gécamines district of Kolwezi in the Lualaba province where more than 39,000 people live, Compagnie Minière de Musonoie Global SAS (COMMUS) , a joint venture between the Chinese group Zijin Mining Group Ltd and Générale des Carrières et des Mines SA ( Gécamines ), state mining company of the DRC.

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House that was demolished to expand a mineral mine in Kolwezi

Hundreds of residents have received orders from the authorities of the Lualaba province to leave their homes and many have already left since the resumption of mining activities without being consulted and the plans to expand the ZIJIN mine. have not been made public, many houses have already been destroyed to make way for mining activities.

Some compensation has been granted by COMMUS to a few people, but this does not allow those compensated to buy housing equivalent to that which they have just lost.

“We did not ask to be relocated, it was the company and the government who came to tell us that there are minerals here,” Edmond Musans , 62 years old.

“I had a big house, with electricity, water... Now, I have a small house, that's all I was able to buy with the compensation received [...], we have to consume the water from the boreholes […] We have almost no electricity. » declared a former resident evicted from the Gécamines city.

Cécile Isaka , another former resident, said explosions for the mine expansion created such large cracks in her house that she feared it would collapse. With no other solution, she accepted the compensation offer and demolished her damaged house in 2022 so that she could reuse the bricks to rebuild another one elsewhere.

Houses burned and residents injured ;
The Mutoshi site, operated by the Chemical of Africa SA (Chemaf) group, a subsidiary of Chemaf Resources Ltd, headquartered in Dubai, soldiers are said to have burned an entire informal settlement in Kolwezi, named Mukumbi.

“After Chemaf obtained the lease for the concession in 2015, three people claiming to be representatives of the company visited me with two police officers to inform me that it was time for the residents of Mukumbi to clear the site which is our village, these Chemaf representatives came to see me four times. » Ernest Miji , chief of Mukumbi, a village which was made up of around 400 structures, including a school, a health facility and a church, which were destroyed on November 7, 2016 for the construction of the Chemaf mine.

“The Chemaf representative told us that now we should leave the village, we asked him where would we go if this is our village where we raise our children, we cultivate and educate our children. We had nothing to survive, we spent nights and nights in the bush. Soldiers from the Republican Guard, an elite military unit led by the Presidency of the Republic, arrived one morning and began burning homes and beating villagers who tried to stop them. We couldn't recover anything, we had nothing to survive, we spent nights and nights in the bush. »Kanini Maska, another former resident aged 57.

A little girl, who was two years old at the time and who we have chosen not to name, was badly burned and left with irreversible scars. Her uncle said the mattress she was lying on caught fire.

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Little girl burned and injured during the destruction of the village of Mukumbi
After several protests, Chemaf agreed in 2019 to pay US$1.5 million through local authorities, but some people only received US$300. Chemaf denies any fault, responsibility or involvement in the destruction of Mukumbi and claims not to have ordered the military to destroy it.
As during the genocide in Germany, red crosses were marked on the fences of houses whose inhabitants were to be evicted and their houses demolished.

Destruction of crops and sexual assaults, stop forced evictions ;
The Kazakh group, Eurasian Resources group SARL (ERG), with its Metalkol Roan Tailings Reclamation (Metalkol RTR) project, was not spared from the report of this investigation into cobalt and copper from Grand Katanga.

Near Kolwezi, a subsidiary of Eurasian Resources Group SARL (ERG), headquartered in Luxembourg and whose majority shareholder is the State of Kazakhstan, manages the Metalkol Roan Tailings Reclamation (Metalkol RTR) project.

In February 2020, twenty-one farmers whose crops were located around the concession near the village of Tshamundenda, without being consulted by the authorities and without any notice, soldiers of the Republican Guard with dogs, occupied their fields by force and on the other side bulldozers were razing their crops.

Kabibi , the alias of a farmer from Tshamunenda, told investigators:
“To date, I have no job or other sources of income. I go from house to house to find food for my children. As I tried to harvest my crops before they were destroyed, three soldiers grabbed me before raping me, while others watched the scene. I remained pregnant after this rape, I gave birth later without complications, fortunately despite the lack of medical care. I am a widow, I cannot afford to enroll my children in school…”

The ERG group declared that it did not control nor had it requested the authorities to deploy soldiers. The company said the Congolese government believes the farmers' collective had been compensated by a former mine operator, something the farmers deny.

Stop forced evictions ;
“The international mining companies involved have ample means to make the changes needed to protect human rights, put in place procedures that improve the lives of people in the region, and provide reparations for the harm caused. » Donat Kambola,coordinator of the IBGDH, said.
“The Democratic Republic of Congo can play a central role in the energy transition to abandon fossil fuels, but human rights must not be trampled in the race to extract minerals to decarbonize the global economy. » Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, said.
Amnesty International's report urges Congolese authorities to immediately end forced evictions, create an impartial commission of inquiry, and strengthen and enforce national laws relating to mining activities and evictions in line with international human rights standards. .

Authorities actively participated in or facilitated forced evictions and failed in their obligation to protect human rights, including those under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Guiding Principles on Business and human rights. The military should never be involved in evictions.

Companies' claims that they adhere to strict ethical standards ring hollow. They have a responsibility to investigate identified human rights abuses, provide meaningful reparations and take necessary steps to prevent future harm.

All companies must ensure that their operations do not harm populations on the front lines of mining activity.

 
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Dave Evans

Regular
17/11/2023
Bin59 Posted


Steve Wembi
@wembi_steve

#DRC: The United States will consider adopting measures, including visa restrictions and other measures, against people violating democracy in the DRC. This could include electoral fraud, corruption, the repression of peaceful demonstrations by force or intimidation of voters, or the violation of human rights in the DRC. The Congolese people deserve to choose their own leaders freely according to a credible and transparent process.




16/11/2023
 
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Corruption in the DRC

Why the DRC is a dangerous place to invest. The DRC government and mining sectors are rife with bribes, corruption and extortion. In the last two years alone, dozens of articles have been written on the corruption in the Congo by sources including NGOs, Civil Societies and mining and investment sites. These articles sound the alarm on the corruption in the DRC and its mining sector, including China's influence, mining fraud, money laundering, and extortion.

In April 2023 Media Congo released an article showing the Congo Study Group (GEC) and Ebuteli survey, with the Bureau d’études, de recherche et de consulting international found that the level of corruption has not changed. They found, in some cases the situation had got worse and that more than 77% of the public think that the country is affected by corruption.

In May 2023 the Frazer Institute ranked the DRC 82nd out of 83 countries for attractiveness to investors in the mining sector. Also in May 2023 four of the DRC's main opposition politicians wrote to the IMF, World Bank and African Development Bank, asking them to conduct an audit of their funds in the Congo because they suspected misuse.

In June 2023 the DRC's own National Business Climate Barometer (BNCA) involving 403 companies gave it a 37% success rating. Also in June 2023 the DRC was excluded from the list of investments of the French mining group ERAMET, sighting corruption in the DRC.

In July 2023 non-compliance and flagrant violations of the DRC Mining Code were reported and Congolese civil society organizations and platforms specializing in mining issues (Justicia Asbl, LICOCO, RND Asbl, POM, MDR, GANVE, CDH, ESPOIR ONG, RCEN, CERN / CENCO, TPRDC, MAX IMPACT) have all shown concern.

Also in July 2023 an article in the Africa Report on 4 July shows that a bill for sanctions against corruption in minerals trafficking in the DRC has been introduced in the US. With the appalling working conditions present in the DRC mining sector, and extremely opaque business climate that exists throughout the country, the bill aims to counter these abuses and calls for sanctions, including asset blocks on persons found to have facilitated child and forced labour in the DRC mining sector "including any official of the government of the DRC".

But the corruption is not just in the government and mining sectors, it's in other sectors such as the legal system, administration, police and infrastructure just to name a few. The DRC's own Inspector General of Finance recently stated over 145 thousand cases of civil servants and agents of the state had committed forgery and massive fraud.

Financial patrol: The IGF flushes out in industrial quantities duplicates, forgers and cheaters among civil servants and agents of the State! - Scoop DRC (scooprdc.net)

778 million $US per year embezzled from the salaries of agents and civil servants of the State according to the IGF - Kongo Presse
 
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