A FAIR SHARE FOR THE CONGO IN MINING CONTRACTS

March 21st, 2007

The people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo held their first democratic elections on October 29th 2006 which resulted in Joseph Kabila being installed as Congo’s first freely elected President in thirty years. Civil society groups are now pressing for mining contracts to be re-written with better terms for the people of the Congo.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a potentially rich nation but war and civil conflicts have ruined the country. Congo DR has the second longest river after the Amazon and contains the largest forest in the world. Congo DR is rich in mineral wealth, holds 34 % of world cobalt and 15% of the world’s copper. It has vast reserves in diamonds and gold, as well as coltan which is used in cell phones.

This mineral wealth has lead many multinational companies to scramble for mining concessions in Congo. However, the manner in which some mining concessions were signed is questionable and unfavorable to the interests of the Congolese people. Some of the concessions were contracted in the midst of Congo’s conflict and are thus vulnerable to corruption.

Today, the people in Congo DR are struggling for resources to be used in local development and for reintegration into societies after the horrific war where torture, displacement, child soldiers and rape of women was a common phenomenon. The high rate of HIV/AIDS is another issue which requires immediate attention.

Congolese nationals and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are now starting to challenge these mining deals so that the people of the Congo would benefit from their mineral wealth. An international campaign is calling on the Kabila government and multinational mining partners to revisit concessions that are not favorable to the DRC and to ensure that new deals give a fair share to the Congolese people.

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