DRC: civil society denounces political influence in the Manono Lithium exploitation file
3 hours ago admin
Today, lithium ore is mostly extracted in Australia.
Geological scandal, the DRC is preparing to be the center of today's and tomorrow's technology challenges, marked in particular by the rise in the use of electric cars. Indeed, the country has one of the world's largest reserves of lithium, an essential raw material in the manufacture of batteries. Only, while the Minister of Mines has issued technical advice to an operator, certain enemies of the Republic, using their bit of power, are trying to manipulate the file as they please. It is in reaction to this attitude, which is undermining the efforts of the President of the Republic, that a collective of civil society organizations published a joint press release in which it noted "great unrest since the mining company DATHCOM MINING SAS presented its Feasibility Study”.
Thus, the collective recalls that "Civil Society is very well informed that to date, only DATHCOM MINING SAS has carried out geological studies with the support of engineers from Cominière, a public company of the State and partner of the joint -venture”. Thus, the signatories "recommend to the Congolese government to take into account the IGF Report", while requesting "the particular attention of the President of the Republic so that no official, from the Presidency to the Cominière, does not use the influence peddling or being in a conflict of interest over Monono's lithium". Below is the full press release. Writing Joint press release n°003/LSHI/05/2022
Kinshasa-Mahagi-Lubumbashi-Watsa-Kolwezi, May 31, 2022
Manono's LITHIUM backrest.
The Civil Society Organizations and platforms signatories of this press release observe a great turmoil since the mining company DATHCOM MINING SAS presented its Feasibility Study, under the direction of the Australian company AVZ Minerals, to the government and obtained favorable technical opinions from the Ministry of Mines with a view to transforming its Research Permit (PR) Number 13359 into an Exploitation Permit (PE) for the industrial exploitation of the lithium that it discovered and that Minister Antoinette N' SAMBA KALAMBAYI gave its favorable opinion as supervisory authority.
The signatories remind everyone that Civil Society is very well informed that to date, only DATHCOM MINING SAS has carried out geological studies with the support of engineers from Cominière, a public company of the State and partner of the joint venture.
The signatories of this press release recommend that the Congolese government take into account the Report of the Inspector General of Finance (IGF) of the end of March 2022, the final observations of which were sent to the government and Cominière on April 04, 2022, on shareholding and the agitations for the control of DATHCOM MINING SAS by various new interested parties including the Chinese of ZIJIN having bought 15% of the shares of Cominière in the joint venture in violation of the laws of the Republic.
The signatories of this Joint Press Release request the particular attention of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Head of State and guardian of the mining interests of the population, so that no official, from the Presidency to the Cominière, not use influence peddling or be in a conflict of interest about Monono's lithium.
The signatory organizations to the Mining Cadastre to notify DATHCOM MINING SAS without delay concerning its Exploitation License in accordance with the instructions of the Minister of Mines, and to the technical services of the government to support this partnership in proceeding without delay to the development of this ambitious and important mining project in accordance with its planning, for the interest of the population.
The signatories recommend that all political and mining authorities in the country work to protect the business climate.
Signatory organizations and platforms:
– Network of Environmental Communicators (RCEN), Lubumbashi
– Platform of Civil Society Organizations intervening in the Mining sector (POM), Lubumbashi and Kolwezi
– DRC Press-Club, Lubumbashi
– Network of Humanitarian Communicators, Lubumbashi
– All for the DRC, Kinshasa
– Understanding and Acting in the Industrial and Artisanal Mining Sector, Kolwezi and Lubumbashi
– Platform of Civil Society Organizations Working in Decentralization and Public Finances (PODEFIP), Lubumbashi and Kolwezi
– Network of environmentalists and communicators on Natural Resources (Haut-Uélé, Bas-Uélé and Ituri)
– Federation of Artisanal Farmers of the Watsa Territory, HautUlélé
– LICOCO, Kinshasa
– CERN CENCO, Kinshasa
– Touche Pas A Mon Cobalt, Kolwezi and Haut-Katanga
– Civil Society, Kibali Sector
– New Congolese Civil Society, Watsa Territory
– Club Bunker, Kinshasa
– THE HOUSE OF CONGOLESE HUMAN RIGHTS DRC
– Civil Society Consultation Framework of Lualaba Actions Against Corruption and Fraud (ACOF), Kinshasa
-Congo Civil Society (SOCICO/Haut-Uélé
-Circle for the Promotion of Human Rights (Haut-Uélé
- Me Lolo BITUM LOPA, Researcher on natural resources and rights of neighboring communities.
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