DRC: the process of refining Congolese gold by Rwanda suspended
Felix Tshisekedi convened the Superior Defense Council on Wednesday. It was decided that the government suspend all memorandums of understanding, agreements, conventions concluded with Rwanda accused of attacking the DRC and providing support to the M23. What are these agreements? The government promises to communicate quickly on this file. Officially, since Felix Tshisekedi came to power, a series of agreements have been signed between Kinshasa and Kigali.
June 26, 2021 in Goma, the red carpet is rolled out. The ceremony is grand. It is broadcast live on Rwandan public television and that of the DRC. The agreement seems perfect between Paul Kagame and Felix Tshisekedi.
The two Heads of State attend the signing of three bilateral cooperation agreements, to illustrate the improvement in relations between Kinshasa and Kigali. The first relates to the promotion and protection of investments.
The second is a convention that avoids double taxation and prevents tax evasion with respect to income tax.
The last is a cooperation protocol between the gold company of Kivu and Maniema (SAKIMA SA) and the Rwandan company DITHER LTD.
The purpose of this agreement, explained the authorities of two countries, is to deprive armed groups of income from this sector.
Kinshasa had accepted that the gold extracted by Sakima be refined in Rwanda.
Problem, these agreements were not passed by the National Assembly, provoking the anger of certain deputies including Juvénal Munubo. This elected official, originally from eastern DRC, does not exclude the presence of other agreements which would be kept secret.
This week, the president of the National Assembly also announced that his office had blocked the process of ratifying certain agreements with Uganda, also suspected of being in intelligence with the M23.
Also on Wednesday, around Félix Tshisekedi, the Superior Council of Defense instructed the Minister of the Interior and the Chief of Police to take all “the measures required to avoid stigmatization and the manhunt” during the demonstrations. against Rwanda and the M23. During a demonstration against the regime of Paul Kagame, some demonstrators had targeted businesses supposed to belong to Rwandans.
