Kibali Gold Mine Honors Blessed Anuarite Nengapeta at 60th Anniversary Celebration
Kibali Gold Mine, represented by its Country Director, Cyrille Mutombo, participated in the Eucharistic celebration marking the 60th anniversary of Blessed Anuarite Nengapeta in Isiro, Haut-Uélé Province.
The colorful ceremony was attended by President Félix Tshisekedi, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa, elected officials, political leaders, and social actors, as well as the diocese of Isiro-Niangara.
Kibali Gold Mine, based in the northeastern DRC, attended the event to honor the legacy of Blessed Anuarite, a symbol of morality, religious values, and commitment to promoting what is valuable.
“It is a pleasure for us to be present at this ceremony in honor of Blessed Anuarite, who embodies Christian values and moral commitment,” said Cyrille Mutombo, Country Director of Barrick Gold, the parent company of Kibali Gold Mine.
The company’s community engagement efforts go beyond the typical corporate obligations, reflecting the motto of Sister Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta: “To love and to please.” Kibali’s social programs extend to various sectors, benefitting both local communities and the broader Haut-Uélé region.
“Kibali is dedicated to serving not only the communities where our mine is located but the entire Haut-Uélé province. We are here today to honor the legacy of Blessed Anuarite and to express our pride in being part of the community,” Mutombo added.
Kibali Gold Mine has demonstrated its commitment to local communities through a 15-year partnership with the Diocese of Isiro and Niangara.
This collaboration supports several initiatives, including the ongoing sunflower oil production project, which has completed successful pilot studies confirming its viability.
Additionally, Kibali and the diocese are working on education, health, and agriculture projects, further solidifying their long-term engagement with the region.
Kibali’s recent ventures also include a coffee project in Isiro, aimed at restoring Haut-Uélé as a renowned coffee production hub. “This project, in the land of our Blessed Anuarite, will help position Haut-Uélé as a center for coffee and green gold production,” explained Mutombo.
Blessed Anuarite, a nun of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Kisangani, was born in Wamba on December 29, 1939. She became a martyr on December 1, 1964, during the rebellion in Isiro. Beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1985, her legacy continues to inspire the region.
The Eucharistic celebration took place on December 2, 2024, marking the end of the national pilgrimage for the 60th anniversary of Anuarite’s beatification.
It was presided over by Archbishop Marcel Utembi of Kisangani, with nearly one million attendees gathered at Isiro’s disused airfield. During the ceremony, President Tshisekedi called for greater impartiality from the Catholic Church.
