KINSHASA, DR Congo
The United Arab Emirates
signed a $1.9-billion deal with a state mining company in DR Congo to develop
at least four mines in the African country's turbulent east, the Congolese
presidency said Monday.The Mutanda copper mine in Katanga province, Democratic Republic of Congo
Congolese President Felix
Tshisekedi's office stated on Monday evening that an Emirati government
delegation had signed a partnership worth $1.9 billion with Societe Aurifere du Kivu et du
Maniema (Sakima) in the capital Kinshasa.
The deal would see the
"construction of more than 4 industrial mines" in the provinces of
South Kivu and Maniema, according to the statement.
Congolese parastatal Sakima
has mining concessions containing tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold in the
volatile east of the country.
The statement gave no other
details about the deal, including the type of minerals that would be extracted.
Government spokesmen were not
immediately available for comment.
The new deal comes after the
DRC signed a 25-year contract in December with UAE firm Primera Group over
export rights for some artisanally mined ores.
The contract awarded Primera
Group a majority stake in two joint ventures, Primera Gold and Primera Metals.
Primera Gold and Primera
Metals received preferential export rates for artisanally mined gold, and
artisanally mined coltan and tin, tantalum and tungsten -- the so-called 3T
metals -- respectively.
The DRC has touted the
initiative as way to undercut mineral smugglers and guarantee a better
livelihood for informal miners.
Militias have plagued eastern
DRC for decades, sustained in part though trading illicit minerals.
Primera Gold began
operations in South Kivu province in January, and by May had shipped one tonne
of certified gold, according to the Congolese finance ministry.
No comments:
Post a Comment