Gécamines Workers Strike Over Illegal Occupation of Djambelwa Copper Deposit
Gécamines agents in Likasi, Haut Katanga province, have been on strike for three days, protesting the illegal occupation of a copper deposit by a mining cooperative.
Etienne Musinde, President of the union delegation, explained to the foreign press, “Given that most of our deposits have been leased, the Djambelwa deposit has become crucial for Gécamines.
It must be used to restart production in Likasi. While exploration is underway at Djambelwa, a cooperative called ‘Salama’ has been forcibly installed, with military backing, halting all Gécamines activities at the site.”
The workers are protesting the seizure of this promising deposit by a cooperative that they claim enjoys political and military support.
“Yesterday, all Gécamines services in Likasi were shut down, except for the hospital and company schools. The union accuses a Kinshasa-based cooperative named Salama of holding the Djambelwa deposit hostage.
This site, located near the Shinkolobwe uranium mine, is said to contain a significant copper reserve,” the union stated.
At the national forum on public enterprises, the Director General of Gécamines confirmed that the company is involved in 62 partnerships, which generated more than $244 million in revenue in 2023.
