“Congo not for sale” CNPAV says no to violations of Congolese mining legislation and human rights
In an open letter published this Saturday, October 23, The Congo is not for sale campaign, “CNPAV” expresses its deep concern at the human rights violations committed in the context of the execution of the Kibali mining project and calls for the opening of an independent investigation into the forced displacement of the population from the Mege locality to Durba and the establishment of responsibilities in the clashes caused by this forced eviction between the Congolese National Police and the local population of Watsa / Durba in the province of Haut-Uélé.
Below, the content of the open letter from CNPAV:
Indeed, it is since the beginning of the week that the Provincial Government of Haut-Uélé began to demolish the homes of local populations located in the mining perimeter of the mining company Kiball Goldmines, specifically the villages of Banday and Mege. The corroborating sources confirm that the second village was not yet affected by the relocation process, but its population was surprised to see the heavy machinery proceed to the demolition, even malicious destruction of its homes and other property. However, Congolese mining legislation, specifically Annex XVIII of the mining regulation, details in depth the procedure that must be followed in specific cases.
It is clear that the peaceful claims initiated by local civil society have turned to arm wrestling between the police and the population, going so far as to take the lives of more or less seven people, which is unacceptable to the a time when the country says it is committed to good governance of its natural resources sector while respecting human rights. This is all the more inadmissible if the shareholders of Kibali Goldmines have subscribed to the principles of respect for the human rights of the populations affected by their projects. These are Barrick Gold and Angogold Ashanti in its Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct for Business Practices.
The CNPAV also recalls that according to international standards in matters of business and human rights, businesses must refrain from violating human rights, from becoming complicit in them, and even less benefiting from them. As such, Kibali Goldmines is responsible for these human rights violations in that it takes advantage of the violations committed by the Haut-Uélé provincial government.
Considering all the above, the CNPAV, while condemning these inhumane practices on the populations located in the mining perimeter of Kibali Goldmines, asks the Prime Minister to instruct:
– To the Minister of Mines to urgently set up an independent multi-party commission of inquiry also including civil society in order to assess the legality of the relocation operations carried out in the villages of Banday and Mege.
– To the Ministers of Interior Affairs and Mines to set up an independent multi-party commission of inquiry also including civil society on the incidents of this Friday, October 22, 2021 which caused loss of human life in order to establish the responsibilities of both parties. others.
– To the company Kibali Goldmines to suspend all the relocation operations in progress until the closure and the conclusions of the above investigations.
– That any process of relocation of populations affected by mining projects be carried out in strict compliance with the provisions of Annex XVIII of the mining regulation on the Directive relating to relocation, compensation, compensation, displacement and resettlement of communities affected by mining projects
