Gov’t dispels mineral report on Congo

Government has trashed a recent report of Global Witness regarding the state of the mining sector in the war ravaged Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The report, not different from the usual UN reports implicated Rwanda as the main transit route for the minerals produced in North and South Kivu. In an interview with The New Times, Minister Vincent Karega said that “Rwanda as government does not do business or trade in minerals. Business by both Congolese, Rwandan business people and foreign investors across both countries trade legally through customs borders and financial systems”. “They trade minerals from their motherland and continent with licences from the legitimate and sovereign states”. “Whether a part of the sales create wealth for rebels, negative forces present in Congo, it does not mean that Rwanda promotes or support conflicts because traders in minerals transit their goods through Rwanda”. The report says the Congolese national army and other armed groups control much of the mining and trade and often use forced labour. The report argues the trade is prolonging the 12-year conflict. “The conflicts in Congo are much more complex and have deep root causes inside and outside Congo beyond these newly branded issues on minerals and the sustainable solutions are not to be found in mineral trade” Karega said “This is like running away from the problem by artificially creating other problems. Let us respond to the following questions who are the FDLR, Mai Mai, Pareco, CNDP name it?” “Trade from Congo via Rwanda to ports is a double way movement. They export minerals, palm oil, textiles, timber, agriculture products, coffee and they import fuel, food, manufactured goods etc” he said. “Why is Rwanda expected to eradicate this trade and not MONUC, a global force with a multi-billion budget?” “If they want peace and prosperity in Congo, responses are not in a safe kept in Rwanda, they have to devise strategies with Congo” Karega said. Western companies have been accused of fuelling the conflict by not checking the origins of the minerals they buy, a human rights group said. Some companies that sourced minerals used in products such as cellphones and computers purchased the materials from traders who worked with rebels and soldiers, Global Witness reports goes ahead to allege. Cassiterite and coltan are used to make cellphones, computers and other electronic goods. The group called on multinationals trading in minerals from the DRC to make sure they were not funding rebels and called on the government of DRC to cut off rebel access to mines and international trade networks. Ends

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Gov’t dispels mineral report on Congo