This latest trucker strike shows the uncertainty associated with...

This latest trucker strike shows the uncertainty associated with the DCR supply of copper and cobalt. Due to the historic low cobalt price miners are more likely to focus on shipping copper over cobalt. Increased fuel costs are also an issue in the DRC with many people opting to walk instead of catching public transport according to some reports. The upcoming presidential election is another concern that could spark political tension after the controversial 2018 election result.

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Copper, cobalt supplies from Congo stranded by truckers' strike
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"LONDON/JOHANNESBURG, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Copper and cobalt produced by companies, including Glencore and CMOC, are stranded in Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), due to a truckers strike that started in late October, four sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Already 2,700 trucks carrying around 89,000 metric tons of copper are stuck in Kolwezi, two of the sources said.

The strike could tighten global supplies of copper, needed for power generation and construction, and cobalt, used in the rechargeable batteries that power electric vehicles. Both materials are crucial for the energy transition."

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In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the eastern provinces are grappling with a steep rise in fuel prices at the pump.
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"In Goma, North Kivu, and Bukavu, South Kivu, the cost of public transportation has exponentially increased. Taxi drivers and motorcyclists have tripled or even quadrupled fares. As a result, the majority of commuters have resorted to walking.

For Espoir Amani, a resident of Bukavu, the simple act of getting around has become a nightmare: "Everyone is starting to walk, even students and children are walking due to the lack of transportation. Taxi fares have doubled, so at this point, the population is suffering significantly due to a significant increase in fuel prices," laments this resident.

On the other hand, taxi drivers argue that there is no solution. Despite the planned meeting to set prices, many fuel resellers are breaking the rules."

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A surge in violence in eastern DRC adds to the many question marks over December’s presidential poll.
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"The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is heading for presidential elections in less than seven weeks, and again seems ill-prepared. Will it be another fiasco like 2018, where the official outcome appeared to bear little resemblance to reality?

The Independent National Electoral Commission, known by its French acronym CENI, has officially announced 20 December as election day – with legislative and local polls to follow next year. But there’s some uncertainty about whether it will actually happen then. CENI President Denis Kadima has suggested he’s not being paid enough for it.

And the continuing instability in the east could disenfranchise over a million voters, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said this week. Other problems include government repression of opposition protests. On 30 August, Republican Guard troops massacred over 50 civilians preparing to protest against the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Goma, capital of the eastern North Kivu province.

President Félix Tshisekedi, who came to power controversially – because of the widespread view that he had lost the 2018 elections to Martin Fayulu – will seek a second term against about 23 other candidates, including Fayulu. Other strong challengers are former Katanga province governor and wealthy businessman Moïse Katumbi, former prime minister Adolphe Muzito, Nobel Peace Prize-winning gynaecologist Denis Mukwege, and former cabinet minister Delly Sessanga.

Katumbi was forced out of the 2018 election by spurious legal manoeuvres, which he is facing again. This week the Constitutional Court dismissed an application by another presidential candidate to have Katumbi disqualified from the poll on grounds that he had dual nationality. His father was Italian. Despite winning the case, Katumbi must still be officially vetted by CENI, along with other aspirant candidates, on 18 November when the election campaign officially starts."

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