DRC considers new talks with Ventora after negative year since agreement
It is already a year since the signing of the agreement, on February 24, 2022, between the DR-Congolese government and the Ventora group of the Israeli businessman, Dan Gertler. This agreement allows the Congolese state to recover disputed DRC mining and oil assets held by companies linked to the Israeli businessman.
A year later, civil society, in particular the Observatory of Public Expenditure (ODEP), draws up a negative assessment of this agreement. The PCA of the ODEP, Florimond Muteba deplores the non-publication of the annexes of this agreement, until then. Which, according to him, shows a lack of transparency.
He also deplores the fact that the Congolese State has still not recovered the 2 billion USD promised, because the American sanctions continue to weigh on the assets sold by Ventora.
“One year after the DRC-Ventora agreement, the results are negative because the 2 billion that we expected are still not in the coffers of the State. The President of the Republic and the government are fighting for the sanctions be lifted on certain assets but it has not been done. The assets are still under American sanctions.
Today, voices are raised to say that this agreement was badly negotiated because we raise the question of royalties where Gertler would have pocketed 60 million USD. We believe that since this agreement was published without annexes, that is to say that the opacity and lack of transparency continue”, said Florimond Muteba, during a conference of press held on Thursday April 6, 2023 in Kinshasa.
The PCA of ODEP believes that it would be desirable to return to the negotiating table to review some aspects that continue to harm the Congolese people.
“We must return to the negotiating table to balance this agreement. Not only must the annexes be published, but they must be put on the negotiating table to review the aspects that continue to harm the Congolese people.
Dan Gertler should be ashamed of himself with everything he has won in Congo. He has won a lot. He can say out of pity that he is going home without asking us for anything,” said Florimond Muteba.
In addition to ODEP, several other civil society organizations, in particular the “Congo is not for sale” synergy, have also called on the government to publish the annexes to the agreement signed with the Ventora group in order to allow full transparency according to the good governance and EITI standards. They also believe that the Congolese state should balance its advantages with regard to royalties.
