Wheres can this UPI article be found that everyone keeps referring to??
The Drudge report times out.
Mbalam-Kribi railway: new threat from Avima Iron in Congo
-
=http://www.geocities.com/barrybolton187/lok.jpg>
-
=http://www.geocities.com/barrybolton187/lok.jpg>
-
FYI, published earlier today (Monday).
"dubious and opaque agreements" ???
Written by Greedio Cashola ?Mbalam-Kribi railway: new threat from Avima Iron in Congo
May 16, 2022
This enterprise in open conflict with the Congolese government, the authorities of Brazzaville continue their headlong rush, trying to mislead Cameroon. Even more, questions arise about the technical expertise, and the ability to raise funding, of the companies identified to carry out the projecthttps://camerounactuel-com.translate.goog/chemin-de-fer-mbalam-kribi-nouvelle-menace-davima-iron-au-congo/?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=scThe exploitation of the Lobé iron ore deposit is making headlines. A few days after the signing of a mining agreement between Cameroon and the Cameroonian subsidiary of the Chinese state company Sinosteel. A deputy, Jean Michel Nintcheu, stepped up to castigate "the heist of the century" accompanied in this denunciation by an almost collective indignation of a certain opinion which points an accusing finger at the conflict of interests of which the authorities are allegedly guilty. Cameroonians. The Minister in charge of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, **riel Dodo Ndocke is, so to speak, blacklisted. Unsurprisingly, many observers hope to see this convention canceled by the Head of State.
It is this context that Avima Iron has chosen to remind the public of another mining affair which is not yet extinguished: the project to build the Mballam-Kribi railway and the ore terminal, entrusted to the company Sangha Mining, and which justified the regular visits of the Congolese Minister of Mines, main beneficiary of the project because the government of Congo intends to use this line to transport the production which will come from his country for Kribi.Opaque agreements
In a press release signed on May 5, 2022, Avima Iron indeed recalls that "the government of the Republic of Congo continues its maneuvers to keep the mining assets illegally seized from foreign investors and continues to mislead the Cameroonian government by helping it to legitimize this act on mining projects valued at several billion dollars".
Because, continues the press release, “ AustSino and Bestway Finance, two shell companies introduced by Sangha Mining (and all associated with President Denis Sassou Nguesso or his family), have signed dubious and opaque agreements in order to develop port and rail infrastructure in Cameroon. With a view to linking these problem assets in the Congo to the Cameroon coast. However, due to the fact that the assets were illegally taken, and are currently being challenged in various courts, the rail and port infrastructure will be of no use as the Congolese government does not have the means to develop and exploit these assets in a legitimate manner. ".
For Avima, “ the development of these rail and port infrastructures across Cameroon will cost tens of billions of dollars and will require cutting-edge world-class expertise. However, neither of the two companies mentioned above, namely Bestway and AustSino, has neither the funds nor the capacity, even less the proven expertise, for the development of large-scale infrastructure projects such as these ”.Obviously, this is a smokescreen that aims to deceive the Cameroonian government and legitimize the illegitimate acquisition of the assets so that they can be sold to unsuspecting investors.
iron in danger
All other things being equal, the Australian company also says it is surprised because, in the past, " The Cameroonian government rejected a clearly dubious proposal from the Congolese government for the establishment of a rail corridor in order to to support the development of illegally acquired resources, including Avima, Nabeba and Badondo (all projects that the Congolese government is accused of having stolen from international investors), but as things stand, the Cameroonian government risks to be entangled in the network, which lacks credibility and is contested internationally ". At the end of the line, a possibility of endangering the development of the iron ore industry in Cameroon.
What Avima Iron offers, however, is simple. Address the problem legally, through compensation or the return of mining permits to their rightful owners. Only viable solution to guarantee the development of the entire West and Central African iron ore. And finally make the rail and port infrastructure plan flourish thanks to the Nabeeba and Mbalam projects in Congo and Cameroon.
Negative impactAccording to Avima Iron, “ The Congolese government's actions are already having very real impacts – jobs are being lost and livelihoods are at risk – the Avima mine was due to start producing more than a year ago. Yet it would have created hundreds of additional jobs and generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Local communities now find themselves without jobs, without appropriate local investment and without hope for the future ”. All this comes at a time when the country is also facing a serious economic crisis.
According to Amnesty International, those who have protested against the government's economic mismanagement, which has driven up the cost of living and limited access to public services such as health care and education , have been met with violent repression by the said government and human rights violations.
In the same vein, orchestrated events, such as the signing of contracts, urgently adopted by the governments of Congo and Cameroon, to deceive and distract citizens by creating a false sense of progress and, using fictitious companies and promoters without expertise or funds, only prolong the situation and the difficulties that the country is facing.However, it is common ground that the Congo urgently needs international investment that will help develop the country, end the economic crisis, increase the wages of the population, create long-term jobs and improve standard of living. Under these conditions If the Congolese government does not act by restoring the mining permits in the name of the legitimate owners, the country will suffer irreparable damage.
Translated source:Last edited by DVEous: 17/05/22 -
Announcement from ERM has made my day. :)
Add to My Watchlist
What is My Watchlist?