Establishment of a commission to demilitarize artisanal mining sites in Haut-Katanga

The provincial authorities of Haut-Katanga – the DRC’s capital of copper – decided, during a security council held on Tuesday, September 21, 2022, to set up an inter-service commission to demilitarize the artisanal mining quarries in this part of the Republic. Democratic Republic of the Congo.

On behalf of the provincial government of Haut-Katanga, the provincial minister of interior and security acknowledged that despite the provincial executive’s ban, the military is still visible in artisanal mining quarries.

“About the demilitarization of artisanal mining quarries, an inter-services commission will go to the field without delay to strip the mining quarries of men in uniform and thus strengthen the teams assigned to patrol operations in urban agglomerations”, said declared Éric Muta, provincial interior minister.

The NGO Afriwatch had denounced, on August 31, the presence of soldiers and police in the mining sites despite the decision of the provincial government of Haut-Katanga asking them to leave these places.

During the provincial security council which had dealt, on August 17, with the security situation prevailing in the cities of Lubumbashi, Likasi and Kasumbalesa, the provincial government had summoned the police and the elements of the FARDC who guard the quarries. artisanal mining companies in Haut-Katanga to leave these sites. They then had 48 hours to execute this decision.

The provincial security council had also invited the commanders of the FARDC and the national police as well as the judicial authorities to arrest all the soldiers and police officers in an irregular situation in these sites.

The NGO Afriwatch, which welcomes this measure, recalled that despite this ban, the soldiers and police are still visible there. She asks “that a follow-up be done for the proper application of this measure”.