NGOs Call on President Tshisekedi to Address Disappearance of Precious Diamond
Two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) advocating for human rights defense are calling on President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi to intervene in a case involving the disappearance of a precious stone weighing over 40 carats from the facilities of the Ministry of Mines in the province of Lomami.
The NGOs, “Environment, Natural Resources for Development” (ERND Institute) and “Proximity Leaders for Local and Inclusive Governance” (LPGLI-RDC), emphasized the importance of tracing the missing stone to prevent financial losses for the Congolese state.
In a statement released on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, the NGOs expressed concern that the failure to trace the precious stone would result in a significant loss of revenue for the Congolese state.
According to Roger Muchuba, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ERND Institute, the green diamond in question was discovered in 2022 by an artisanal digger named Pastor Albert Ngoy in the province of Lomami.
The diamond was promptly registered by the Assistance and Supervision Service for Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (SAEMEPE) before it went missing.
Muchuba criticized the lack of action from authorities at both the provincial and national levels, including the Minister of Mines and the director of SAEMEPE, regarding the disappearance of the diamond.
He highlighted the importance of the diamond as a potential guarantee for the Congolese currency and expressed frustration over the lack of response from the President despite sending correspondence for a month.
ERND experts believe that the missing stone could be the largest naturally colored diamond, further underscoring the urgency of tracing it to prevent potential harm to the state.
