DRC Mining Week Highlights: Balancing Mining Priorities and Community Needs
The second day of DRC Mining Week focused on discussing mining trends and priorities. Serge Mumbu, Managing Director of Target SARL, emphasized the need to reconcile the priorities of miners with those of local communities for economic balance. He shared these insights on Thursday, June 13, 2024, during his panelist intervention.
The panel addressed several critical questions, focusing on identifying geopolitical trends that could shape the mining sector in the DRC in the coming years. Key questions included:
-What mining priorities are being set by the DRC government and the private sector to ensure the country’s growth?
-How can the DRC leverage global trends and learn from them?
-How can a balance be created between economic development, environmental protection, and social responsibility?
Serge Mumbu highlighted the importance of aligning the priorities of mining companies with those of local communities. He noted that local populations often have specific expectations of mining companies, which can lead to misunderstandings, especially when presented with increasing turnover figures.
“According to our survey findings, populations have very specific expectations of mining companies, and sometimes this creates misunderstandings. When we present the increasing turnover figures, these populations often view them negatively,” explained Mumbu.
He recommended that mining companies consider the needs of local communities in their actions. Mumbu observed that while mining companies have CSR standards, these often do not align with the expectations of the beneficiaries.
“When we survey young people about careers, we don’t see much attraction to the mining sector. We need to accelerate human capital development and attract them by matching supply with demand and ensuring we have qualified human resources,” he added.
Bertrand Montembault, Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills, focused on the regulation of conflict minerals. He stressed the importance of integrating producing states into the value chain and attracting processing industries. Montembault also urged the state to use growth levers to achieve infrastructure transformations.
Popol Mabolia, Director General of the Mining Cadastre, noted that the country already has an industrial plan that incorporates innovations and ground realities.
Responding to a question on the government’s mining priorities, he emphasized the need for sustainable management and revenue maximization, along with improved knowledge of the subsoil.
“The geopolitics involved: we are looking for so-called critical minerals, but for us, they are strategic minerals,” Mabolia insisted.
John Dunlop, Director of Missions for USAID, discussed good practices in the mining industry, adding another layer of insight to the conversation on sustainable mining practices in the DRC.
