CNPAV accuses Dan Gertler of protecting his mining assets through his YaBiso project- DRC

During a press conference held this Thursday, April 22 in Kinshasa, the “Congo is not for sale” campaign called on the government to undertake immediate investigations into the suspicious circumstances which gave rise to the transfer of the royalties from Gécamines and the State to companies linked to the Israeli businessman, Dan Gertler, in all discretion and in violation of the law, and to block any approach aimed at legitimizing these transactions, in particular the registration of the YaBiso project at the one-stop shop for business creation in the DRC.

The CNPAV recalls that a few months ago, Dan Gertler announced to Congolese citizens his “YaBiso” initiative in order to sell them the right to 30% of the royalties he receives in Metalkol, a company that exploits copper and cobalt near of Kolwezi to the detriment of Gécamines and the Congolese state. 

The real stake of YaBiso according to the CNPAV

The Congo is Not for Sale campaign analyzed this offer, and understood that YaBiso’s real challenge is to legitimize and protect mining assets ill-gotten over the past two decades. In fact, in addition to Metalkol, Mr. Gertler receives royalties from Mutanda and KCC. By offering for sale 30% of a single royalty stream (Metalkol), Dan Gertler preserves the remaining 70% of Metalkol royalties, as well as 100% of KCC and Mutanda royalties. In numerical terms, based on our detailed and conservative analysis of future revenue Dan Gertler might receive, he is selling just 7% of the total royalties he hopes to collect, allowing him to maintain the remaining 93%.

The speakers at this press conference revealed the dark side hidden by the “YaBiso” project. 

For Jean-Pierre Okenda, researcher at Resource Matters and member of CNPAV, the YABISO project is not beneficial for the Congolese people. He accuses Dan Gertler of turning to the population to whitewash himself.

“What is at stake for YABISO is that Dan Gertler is in search of popular legitimacy because he is cornered by anti-corruption organizations. He wants to make the people his refuge to whitewash himself. He has never been an investor. , he is an intermediary. Dan Gertler acquired the royalties through discreet processes, fraudulently. He offers, according to our calculations, 7% of the royalties to the Congolese, while the Congolese state owns the income from these royalties 50% by law. YABISO is anything but beneficial for the Congolese, “said Jean-Pierre Okenda.

Speaking to this press conference, Florimond Muteba, PCA of the Observatory of Public Expenditure (ODEP), and Jimmy Kande, UNIS country coordinator, advised the population not to venture into the YaBiso project. 

From whom does Dan Gertler buy the DRC mines?

“He buys our mines from Congolese leaders. For example, Albert Yuma has signed several contracts for the sale of mining squares to Dan Gertler. There are also the various prime ministers and portfolio ministers who have succeeded each other during the Gertler period. In this case, it is an elite against its people, “replied Jean-Claude Mputu. 

For his part, Jean-Claude Mputu, spokesperson for the CNPAV was indignant at the behavior of certain Congolese leaders, who, according to him, are plundering the country in complicity with Dan Gertler.

“The main accomplices of the Congo’s resource looters are the Congolese leaders. They sign the land sales contracts and demand that they not be published. He is robbing the Congolese people,” said Jean-Claude Mputu. 

The campaign stigmatizes the inaction of the Congolese authorities despite multiple appeals from civil society as well as American sanctions. “Unfortunately, this inaction will continue to cause enormous losses for the DRC for years, even decades,” deplores the CNPAV.

This platform reveals that since the 2018 election, more than $ 209 million in royalties were owed to Dan Gertler. This equates to more than 1,000 schools that could have been built across the territory. The campaign reiterates the demand for a rigorous, independent and complete audit of the transfer of Gécamines shares and royalties to Dan Gertler in the Mutanda Mining, KCC and Metalkol project.

“If the investigation confirms our concerns about the violation of the transfer procedure, or exposes other illegal practices, the contracts should be canceled and the assets returned to Gécamines and the State, and nationalize them if necessary”, adds the CNPAV.

Recall that Dan Gertler has been accused by civil society of playing a crucial role in the privatization of the extractive sector since 1997, particularly in the copper-cobalt sector once dominated by the most emblematic of the state mining companies: Gécamines.