Nothing justifies the American sanctions against Dan Gertler after the agreement signed with the Congolese State (Civil society)
After the publication of the memorandum of understanding relating to the global settlement of disputes and reciprocal interests between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Ventora group belonging to the Israeli businessman, Dan Gertler, the Action Group for protection, monitoring and citizen control of the natural resources of the DRC calls for the lifting of American sanctions against the businessman Dan Gertler.
Objective: to facilitate the exploitation of the assets recovered by the Congolese Government.
In a statement made on Friday, December 2, 2022, at the end of four days of work on mines and hydrocarbons, i.e. from November 29 to December 2, 2022, in Kinshasa, this section of civil society in the Democratic Republic of Congo has expressed a clear-cut position: "nothing justifies the American sanctions against Dan Gertler considering the good evolution of the Ventora file".
The Action Group for the protection, monitoring and citizen control of natural resources in the DRC welcomes the publication of the agreement between the Congolese Government and the Ventora company, thanks in particular to its multiple pleas.
“Dan Gertler returned his assets thanks in part to societal efforts and US sanctions; the man having obviously understood that it was necessary to change the way of doing things, it is a page that turns.
There are now other cases on which we will focus, always in the interest of the Congolese people and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Since the sanctions have fulfilled their objectives, they could prove to be counter-productive, hence we are asking for their lifting to enhance the exploitation of the recovered assets. reads the final statement of this work.
For these leaders of civil society, the act taken by the Congolese Government marks a decisive turning point in the fight for transparency and the accountability of those who govern, especially in the mining sector.
Moreover, Congolese civil society never intends to rest on its laurels again.
It is already considering large-scale actions in the Mines and Hydrocarbons sector to restore the Congolese population to their rights.
In the process, this civil society group deemed it imperative to take up the case of the General Cobalt Company (EGC).
According to this action group, "the EGC company is blocked by the provincial government of Lualaba in cahoots with the lobbies established in Kinshasa who have even created the Sud South company and do not want to let go of the Kasulo mine and that of Tuilezembe where their cooperatives exploit the minerals in violation of the law”.
In the same vein, these Congolese civil society actors warn of the illegal exploitation of gold mines by Chinese subjects in the provinces of Haut-Uélé, Sud-Kivu and Maniema with the complicity of hundreds of authorities, both civil and military.
Among the recommendations of the Mines and Hydrocarbons Week, the members of this civil society collective call for the identification and sanction of the political and military authorities who sell off or facilitate the selling off of mining, gas, oil and forestry assets, like COMINIERE officials currently arrested by the courts.
It should be noted that the meetings of the Mines and Hydrocarbons Week mobilized more than forty civil society organizations engaged in the fight to promote good governance of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
mediacongo
*To Remind
Sale of the mining assets of COMINIERE: The IGF overwhelms Adèle Kayinda and the leaders of this company (Report)
As unlikely as it may seem, none of these USD 33,440,000 was allocated to the operation of COMINIERE S.A.
The coffers of the company are already ringing hollow to this day.
In this sale of the mining assets of COMINIERE, in addition to its CEO and the Minister of Portfolio who had given all these authorizations, are also involved the CEO of CAMI and a Special Advisor. Vultures.
*To Remind, because it is worth another look imo
Julien Paluku: “whether in Manono, Tanganyika or Lualaba, the population will benefit from the lithium mining royalty”
Speaking on Thursday, November 1, 2022 on the antennas of Top Congo FM radio, the Congolese Minister of Industry, Julien Paluku specified that "around the battery industry, there needs to be an ecosystem of roads, infrastructure, transport and harbours”.
This is why it supports the idea of creating the first electric battery factories in the ecosystem of Special Economic Zones.
Through his remarks, the Minister of Industry wishes to reassure the population of Manono that they will indeed benefit from the extraction of lithium in this region.
The media release of Minister Julien Paluku is worth an update on the many complaints expressed by some community leaders in the city of Manono.
"This aims to reassure the population of Manono who say they are neglected in the file of creation of electric battery factories in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)", he said.
Indeed, civil society in Manono has stepped up to the plate against the decision of the Minister of Industry to set up a lithium-based battery manufacturing plant in Lubumbashi, capital of Haut-Katanga, while lithium extraction activities will be held in Manono in Tanganyika.
For civil society actors in Tanganyika, the Manono lithium battery factory should be established in Tanganyika and not elsewhere.
They believe that establishing this company in Lubumbashi will not contribute to local development (of Manono) and that there will be no tangible impact of this deposit on the lifestyle of the population of Manono.
In response, Julien Paluku explained the reasons that led to this decision.
We are on the construction site of the Manono Special Economic Zone, which is the bastion of lithium.
To the question why not transform to Manono?
I would answer that we have to start already with what we have.
We will not wait until we have an adequate ecosystem to start because the demand is strong.
We start where there is a favorable ecosystem to allow us to meet the strong demand we have, increase our budget and allow us to attract other investors to the places now producing cad Manono, "he said. he declared to ease any tension.
Julien Paluku also noted that the energy transformation companies of the latest generation of electric batteries will be done anywhere because we will not have the only factory with a demand for 500 million electric cars.
For now, a single factory in Manono alone will not be able to meet global demand. We therefore need to set up factories in Manono, Haut-Lomami, Tanganyika and Lualaba,” said Julien Paluku.
It should be noted that it is not only lithium that is used in the composition of batteries for electric cars. To this ore, we must also associate cobalt, manganese and nickel.
"We want to reassure ourselves that the base of the value chain is the DRC so as not to suffer external pressures", insisted Julien Paluku.
And to add: “I reassure that we are going to set up factories in Manono after Haut-Katanga.
We start with the precursors in Katanga but for the electric cars themselves, maybe it will take place in Manono or elsewhere.
For now we give value to manganese, nickel to offtakers i.e. buyers who need these elements as raw materials in the manufacture of electric batteries because in the first phase we will not produce more electric cars in the DRC, we will produce the precursors.
It is only after this stage when we have set up a well-established general ecosystem that we will be able to produce electric batteries. “, reassured the boss of Congolese Industry.
Intervenant le jeudi 1er novembre 2022 sur les antennes de la radio Top Congo FM, le Ministre congolais de l’Industrie, Julien Paluku a précisé qu’ « autour de l’industrie de batteries, il faut un écosystème de routes, infrastructures, transports et ports ». Raison pour laquelle, il soutient...
zoom-eco.net
Food for thought on the Road to Mining Manono
All Hail King Julien and Civil Society i say
Cheers
Frank
