President Félix Tshisekedi held a videoconference on Wednesday, July 24, with representatives from the American think tank, The Brookings Institution, to discuss strategies for making the exploitation of Congolese minerals more beneficial for the local population. During the meeting, they discussed not only the revision of existing mining contracts but also the importance of profitable exploitation and on-site mineral processing to create jobs and foster a local industry. President Tshisekedi emphasized that this approach aligns with efforts to diversify the Congolese economy and promote agriculture. The discussions, centered on the… Read More Here

On Thursday, July 25, the Director General of the Mining Cadastre, Popol Mabolia Yenga, met with the Governor and Vice-Governor of Sankuru province to discuss the current state of mining activities and policies aimed at fostering integrated development. During the meeting, the provincial authorities requested detailed cadastral data and information on Sankuru’s natural resources, with a particular focus on potential mining assets. DG Popol Mabolia encouraged the provincial leaders to explore all available development opportunities, highlighting Sankuru’s strategic position and its potential to become a pivotal province in the Democratic… Read More Here

More than 700 children have been exploited at mining sites in Menze and Babarau, Haut-Uélé province, for the past seven months, according to an alert from the NGO Network of Environmentalists and Natural Resources Communicators, issued on July 24 in Isiro. The report highlights that these children are subjected to heavy labor in artisanal quarries, including transporting minerals, putting them at risk of various diseases. Girls are especially vulnerable, often forced into small-scale donut businesses and facing the threat of sexual violence. Dieu Merci Thuambe, coordinator of the NGO, has… Read More Here

Julien Paluku, the Minister of Foreign Trade of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has advocated for the duty-free export of mining products to the United States. His remarks came during a meeting last Tuesday in Washington, D.C., focused on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). In his address, Paluku expressed his commitment to enhancing foreign trade in Sub-Saharan Africa. “I was received at the U.S. Congress in Washington, where I urged national senators and representatives to renew AGOA, which allows eligible sub-Saharan African countries to export most of… Read More Here