In this article Jean-Pierre Okenda, senior analyst, governance of extractive industries in the DRC advocates for changes to impunity in the DRC to penalise people who negotiate unbalanced contracts.
DRC: "It takes a certain moment to penalize people who negotiate unbalanced contracts" (J-P Okenda)
Last updated: 2023/10/24 at 1:28
MinesPublished October 24, 2023
For several decades, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been the victim of a strong depredation of its natural resources. These mafia operations have been at the center of several investigations and investigations, which have not only made it possible to lift the sails on the various thefts perpetrated, but also to discover the imbalance contained in the various contracts directly engaging the Congolese State.
The contract directly engaging the DRC, considered "scandalous" and having been more echoed in recent months is the one signed by the Kabila administration and a group of Chinese companies (GEC) 15 years ago. The Sino-Congolese contract led to the creation of the SICOMINES joint venture.
The contract provided for the granting of cobalt and copper deposits to Chinese companies in exchange for Chinese investments in infrastructure. However, to date Kinshasa considers it "very unfavorable to the country's flagship interests".
After the publication of the report of the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) in which several grievances were upheld against the Chinese side and after an internal and external audit of this institution attached to the presidency of the DRC, several voices were raised to demand the revisiting or cancellation of the said contract.
In an exclusive interview granted to the editorial staff of MINES.CD, Jean-Pierre Okenda, senior analyst, governance of extractive industries in the DRC - who has been closely following this file for several years - explained that the problems that the DRC is experiencing with the advent of the contract of the century - which many African countries also know - are related to the negotiation of these contracts.
"It must be said that in general, negotiations are matters that are so technical and complex. And regardless of the countries, we must say that the problems we are experiencing in Congo are problems that many countries in sub-Saharan Africa are experiencing in terms of negotiations, "he said
Regarding the approach to be followed to make the DRC benefit from its resources, Jean-Pierre Okenda believes that there is a need for shock measures aimed at "stopping the hemorrhage of sales of DRC resources to the detriment of Congolese who live in absurd poverty".
As a result, he invited the government to penalize people mandated by the DRC to negotiate contracts in order to avoid impunity in "a country where corruption is increasing and clientelism reigns in the memorandum of understanding of different projects".
"
In Congo, this is a given moment, we must strongly penalize people who negotiate badly. We must penalize people who sign contracts that are unbalanced. And we can't continue to go with impunity where people negotiate contracts that are bad, "said Jean-Pierre Okenda.
In addition, these specialists in the extractive industries also said that there are several contracts that include leonier provisions on this and
at some point "the cycle of impunity should be broken", so that those who negotiate contracts that go against the interests of the country, "are not quiet or not worried".
Olito MUKINZI
