Pollution of the Aruwimi River in DRC, the Xiang Jiang Mining company has resumed its mining operations

The Information and Support Network for NGOs in the DRC (RIAO-RDC), a society organization, warns of the normal resumption of activities of the chosen company Xiang Jiang Mining on the Aruwimi tributary in the Basoko territory ( Tshopo) the day after the decision of the Congolese government through the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Environment and Sustainable Development Ève.

“The territory of Basoko is totally invaded by Chinese companies. Minister Bazaïba supported us when she came there. She cleared up the ambiguity. In her decision, we talk about stopping mining, which means that the Xiang Jiang Mining company was not prospecting. But before his arrival, the company had stopped its activities because the pollution was so serious that the water of the river was all red. As soon as he returned, just the next day, the have resumed their activities. This is very serious”, declared Jean François Mombia, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RIAO-RDC, during a lively press conference this Friday, February 4 in Kinshasa.

According to him, the Xiang Jiang Mining company says it has obtained authorization from the Congolese government to mine gold on the Aruwimi tributary for nearly 99 years.

“When the leaders of the local communities went to see the director of the Chinese company, he told them that the minister had come to give us the approval. Do you think that if we did not have the authorization of the Congolese government, we would be here? “, added Jean-François Mombia.

During her mission in the Basoko territory, Ève Bazaiba, on behalf of the Congolese Government, ordered the systematic cessation of mining by the Xiang Jiang Mining company on the Aruwimi River and the compensation of the victims of the pollution.

The Chinese firm which has been mining gold for about 2 years in this part of the country had no mining license. So it was an illegal activity.