DRC: NGOs stand against resource plundering, target China and Russia, seek US support

Reading of the declaration of the civil society sanctioning the week of mines and hydrocarbons. [Courtesy] Regrouped in a coalition they labelled the Civil society action group for the protection, monitoring and citizen control of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 40 NGO's are stepping up the fight against the plundering of the country's vast mineral deposits, explicitly targeting China and Russia as threats to Congo's people interest. In a letter addressed to both the United States Secretary of State and Treasury Secretary, respectively Antony Blinken and Janet Yellen, the coalition appeals for tough support from the US administration to counter what they consider the takeover of the country's vast mineral resources deposits by China and Russia, both labelled "evil actors" in the letter seen by the Standard. The letter is dated December 16, 2022, only two weeks after the coalition convened a Mineral resources and hydrocarbons week in Kinshasa, November 9-December 2022, and only two days day after President Tshisekedi of the DRC met with US president Joe Biden in the White House alongside other African leaders. Mineral reserves have been sourcing instability in the DRC. With more than 2 million square kilometres, DRC is the largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is endowed with exceptional natural resources, namely vast deposits of some of the most sought-after minerals including gold, copper, cobalt, and diamond. DRC also has, significant arable land, immense biodiversity, and the world's second-largest rainforest. Large portion of Congo's mineral resources deposit is located in the Eastern part of the country. Unfortunately, DRC population has not benefited from their country's vast wealth. Moreover, that wealth has long sourced instability in the central African nation, with dire humanitarian consequences. According to the World Bank, DRC is among the five poorest nations in the world. In 2021, nearly 64 per cent of Congolese, just under 60 million people, lived on less than $2.15 a day. The quest for illegal exploitation of DRC vast mineral wealth by neighbouring countries and "crooked" companies is the origin of the instability that's been affecting the DRC during the last 20 years, stated the 40-NGO coalition in their letter to the US administration. DRC is facing a challenging military offensive ignited by the M23 rebel group in its eastern province. This is the most serious attack by the group, which in a previous attack, back in 2012-2013 had been able to conquer vast swathes of eastern DRC land including the vast city of Goma which was captured in 2012 and occupied for 10 days. The move sparked international efforts for a ceasefire, and after talks brokered by the Southern African Development Community, M23 agreed to put an end to rebellion in 2013. Rwanda is accused as the main backer of the M23 armed group. In August 2022, United Nations experts stated in a report that there were solid evidence indicating Rwanda support to the M23. Kigali has rejected the allegations. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made public statements condemning Rwanda's role in the destabilisation of DRC, a move that was praised by the coalition in their letter to the US administration officials. In March 2022, the US government placed a Belgian businessman Alan Goets and his company African Gold Refinery based in Uganda under a regime of sanctions, for being involved in illegal gold exports from the DRC financing numerous armed groups in the eastern DRC. Seeking US support US intervention through sanctions in matters related to mineral resources exploitation in DRC is not new, and it's neither the first time the coalition of civil society organisation is seeking US assistance. In 2017, US Treasury sanctioned Dan Gertler, an international businessman and billionaire involved in illegal mineral dealings in the DRC. According to the US Treasury, Gertler's action have led to substantial loss for the DRC economy. "As a result, between 2010 and 2012 alone, the DRC reportedly lost over $1.36 billion in revenues from the underpricing of mining assets that were sold to offshore companies linked to Gertler" said the US Treasury communique sanctioning Gertler. The 40-NGO coalition claims it played a significant role in the imposition of sanctions on the businessman. The US doubled the move in December 2021 by sanctioning Alain Mukonda, and 12 entities linked or associated to the latter in DRC and Gibraltar "for providing support to sanctioned billionaire Dan Gertler". The Coalition claims to have initiated the call for imposing sanctions against businessman Dan Gertler. Their action builds upon the idea that only democracy and good resource governance will benefit to the people and help solving endemic instability. "Democracy and sustainable development go hand in hand, with political and civil rights - and better governance through oversight and the accountability they entail - are not only valuable in their own right but contribute significantly to development, and more generally to the prevention of famine and social and economic disasters", reads the letter. According to the letter signatories, US sanctions helped pave the the way to the removal of President Joseph Kabila after a 18-year rule over DRC. They also gave Kabila's successor Tshisekedi and ruling DRC president to sign an agreement with Dan Gertler for the restitution of $ 2 billion value assets and to obligate him to pay $ 249 million dollars cash to the DRC, 70% of the future royalties. These assets that the DRC has recovered since the contract was signed can only be developed if the US sanctions on Gertler, Ventora and their group of companies are lifted These civil society NGOs claim that the sanctions have worked and allowed these assets to be recovered. It is time to allow the DRC to use them for the development of the country and the interests of the Congolese people, and for this purpose those sanctions must now be lifted. Targeting China and Russia The civil society coalition objects to the growing influence of both China and Russiain to their country. "China now controls 70% of mining in the DRC, and its growing influence culminated in the official signing of a memorandum of understanding with the DRC as a strategic partner of the "Belt and Road" initiative." As for Russia, "Putin and his oligarchs" are said to "have similarly expanded exploitation of the DRC and its critical resources, and are advancing other strategic partnership that could undermine Western sanctions and support for Ukraine - such as joining Russian analogue of the Swift international interbank system - while extending cooperation in a range of critical sectors Among the Congolese 40-NGO coalition, there is a consensus that China and Russia represent serious threats to the interest of the Congolese people. In a harsh statement, both countries are accused to export their repression and authoritarism, and to increasingly undermine human rights protection, labor reforms, environmental conservation and sustainable development in the DRC.

DRC: NGOs stand against resource plundering, target China and Russia, seek US support

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