CNPAV Demands Fair Renegotiation of Sicomines Agreement to Protect DRC’s Interests

The Congo Is Not for Sale coalition (CNPAV) is urging the Presidency, the government, Parliament, and the executive committee of the EITI-DRC to take concrete steps to reassess the Sicomines convention and its fifth amendment.

The coalition calls for a fairer balance of interests between the parties by addressing structural imbalances, financial losses, and ongoing uncertainty over infrastructure funding.

CNPAV reaffirms its commitment to a just renegotiation of the Sicomines contract—one that prioritizes both the short- and long-term interests of the Congolese people and ensures a fairer economic future for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In a press briefing on March 5, 2025, at the Memling Hotel in Kinshasa, the coalition presented an analysis detailing the imbalances in Amendment 5, one year after its implementation.

Despite promises to make the agreement more favorable for the DRC, CNPAV argues that Amendment 5 has instead led to a significant revenue loss for the country without improving the execution of the agreement.

The coalition’s calculations indicate that changes in disbursement methods have already cost the Congolese state $132 million in 2024 alone.

CNPAV, citing official sources, reveals that Sicomines has only contributed about $822 million over 15 years for infrastructure projects—funds that are actually loans requiring repayment with interest.

In comparison, similar mining projects such as Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM) and Kamoa Copper Company (KCC) generate approximately $400 million annually, nearly eight times more than Sicomines’ infrastructure contributions.

Furthermore, under Amendment 5, the DRC will only receive the full $324 million in infrastructure funding if global copper prices remain at or above $8,000 per tonne.

If prices drop below $5,200 per tonne, the country receives nothing. Additionally, Sicomines’ payments remain fixed regardless of the volume of copper exported, unless prices exceed $12,000 per tonne—a threshold never reached in copper mining history.

CNPAV denounces the renegotiation, stating that it has left the DRC in a worse financial position despite its intended purpose of securing better terms. The coalition highlights several key concerns:

• The renewal of tax exemptions for Sicomines, depriving the DRC of vital revenue.
• Continued governance issues that bypass state oversight.
• A generally disappointing track record after 16 years of the Sicomines convention.
• A new infrastructure financing system that ties funding to volatile copper prices, leading to further financial losses.

CNPAV calls on Congolese authorities to take immediate action to correct these imbalances and secure a more equitable deal for the nation.