Latest news with #Democratic Republic of Congo
Zawya
a day ago
- Business
- Zawya
China, US in battle for Congo minerals as bid to end war gains momentum
The Democratic Republic of Congo is a wealthy but needy country. And so, when the US offered to boost the country's security in exchange for minerals, some in Kinshasa viewed it as a smaller bill to pay. So far, the US has led the Congo and Rwanda to sign a peace deal and has backed Qatar-led mediation talks between Kinshasa and the M23 rebels. Yet, beyond the search for peace is an ongoing battle for supremacy and control of minerals. In the face of global geopolitical changes, China has flung the transparency card and increasing its investments in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On July 14, Beijing published a White Paper on community development and the responsibility of Chinese mining companies in the DRC, signalling attachment to corporate social responsibility. The document covers 15 mining companies belonging to eight Chinese conglomerates located in the provinces of Haut-Katanga and Lualaba in the DRC. These firms are all involved in the exploitation of copper and cobalt mines as well as the production, smelting and sale of mining products. The White Paper on Community Development and the Responsibility of Chinese Mining Companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo was presented by the Association of Chinese Mining Companies in the DRC. Over the years, Chinese investment has exceeded the $10 billion mark. For China, the leading destination for Congolese mining exports, it is important to demonstrate the transparency of Chinese companies in the Congo at a time when the US is clearly showing its interest in Congolese mines. Data from the Central Bank of Congo shows that DRC exports up to 57.3 percent of its mining products. This figure is growing. In 2019, the Congo exported only 33 percent of its mining products to China. Chen Zhimin, president of the Association of Chinese Mining Companies in the DRC, said the firms have built 1,250 kilometres of roads for DRC, built power stations with a total installed capacity of 480 megawatts, built 21 hospitals that treat 800,000 patients a year, built 54 schools that accommodate 32,000 students, and reclaimed 6,700 hectares of land that reduce CO₂ emissions by 420,000 tonnes per year. He added that a total of $380 million has been invested in community development, $120 million has been invested in livelihood projects, 470 wells have been dug to solve the drinking water problem for 230,000 people, and 18,742 technicians have been trained. These details were provided at a time American companies are preparing to come or return to the Congo to invest in the mining sector and thus challenge Chinese hegemony in the DRC. Recently, American company KoBold Metals signed an agreement with the DRC for the exploitation of lithium. This agreement will be implemented in three key areas: The company is committed to investing in the Congo in the digitisation of geological data, mining using advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, and the development of a lithium mining project located in Manono in the province of Tanganyika, in the southeast of the DRC. Benjamin Katabuka said that KoBold Metals' goal is to hire more Congolese people, train them, pay them and participate in the construction of infrastructure for the well-being of the population. The DRC and KoBold Metals are committed to 'cooperating to provide free public access to historical geoscientific data through the National Geological Service of Congo (SGNC) for the benefit of all,' said to a dispatch.'KoBold Metals will launch a large-scale mining exploration programme in the DRC, using the world's most advanced technologies to find critical mineral deposits that will be developed into world-class mines,' the partnership agreement states.'The economic partnership between the United States of America and the Democratic Republic of the Congo promises sustainable growth, innovation and tangible benefits for Congolese communities,' said Lucy Tamlyn, US Ambassador to the DRC. During the publishing of the White paper the China Mining Association made commitments to the people of the DRC and the international community: Firstly, mining companies pledged to create a 'transparent mining industry' with all their efforts, by continuously deepening technological investments and management innovations, and improving the transparency and credibility of the global supply chain. Thirdly, they are committed to working together to develop a 'responsibility standard' and to study and formulate the 'Guide to Social Responsibility in the Mining Industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo.' This, Beijing said, will not be imposed on the country but will be based on local realities, and 'national conditions of the Democratic Republic of Congo and in line with international development trends,' in order to raise the level of responsibility of the entire industry to a higher level. China and the US have an established diet for minerals and a competition could benefit the DRC, if well managed. Yet, a few years ago, this increasingly visible competition led to heated exchanges and statements between the Chinese ambassador to the DRC and Mike Hammer, the US ambassador to the DRC until 2022. Today, the debate between American and Chinese preferences is taking place among the Congolese. Against the backdrop of war in eastern DRC, punctuated by peace negotiations led by the United States and a forthcoming agreement between the DRC and the United States on mining in Congo, the public here believes that that Washington is helping Congo more than Beijing in this time of crisis. This criticism prompted a response from Zhao Bin, China's ambassador to the DRC: 'The DRC and Rwanda have signed a peace agreement in Washington. This de-escalation is a good thing in itself. However, discordant voices are being raised in public opinion, with some going so far as to say that China is ignoring the DRC while the United States of America is supporting the DRC.'Is this really the case? Our support for the DRC is unwavering. Our position has never been volatile or changed overnight,' said China's ambassador to the DRC, before adding: 'We have neither used the DRC as a bargaining chip for our own ends nor introduced any discriminatory measures against it. China adheres to its own diplomatic principles, such as non-interference in the internal affairs of the DRC, but it has always provided concrete and effective assistance to the DRC in its own way.'Zhao recalled that, as President of the Security Council, China succeeded in getting Resolution 2773 in favour of the DRC unanimously adopted. Although the debate rages on, for the DRC, the issue will be one of diversifying its partners. This is why, in September 2024, the DRC signed a military cooperation agreement with China aimed at strengthening the capabilities of the DRC Armed Forces. In 2024, the DRC and China renegotiated the 2008 'contract of the century' which had given Chinese firms extensive copper and cobalt mines in exchange for infrastructure development. Officials in the DRC said the renegotiated deal would yield some $4 billion in additional benefits for the Congolese per year. Previously, the Chinese had agreed to a $6 billion funding for infrastructure in areas they operate but was heavily criticised after Beijing fell behind the pledge and claims of lack of transparency ensued. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.
Irish Times
6 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Rare and endangered okapi ‘forest giraffe' is born at Dublin Zoo
A rare and endangered 'forest giraffe' born on Good Friday has been thriving, Dublin Zoo has said. This is the third calf of its kind – one of the few members of the okapi species – to be born in Ireland. The yet-to-be-named calf has two siblings in Dublin Zoo, Dalia and Leki, all born to mother Lumara and father Kitabu. Their names reflect the species' origins in the dense forests of the northeast Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where they are listed as endangered due to 'habitat loss, hunting, deforestation and civil unrest' in the region, Dublin Zoo said. READ MORE Historically, deforestation in the region was relatively low, with 3,100sq km (1,200sq miles) of forest being lost annually, but from 2015 to 2019 the rate of tree-felling in the DRC doubled, meaning a major loss in vegetation for the species. The DRC has suffered from political instability for years, with rebel groups often igniting conflicts across the region. Since her birth, the calf 'has been growing steadily and showing all the signs of good health', zoo officials said. She has spent her first months in the family's nest and has been 'under the attentive care of her mother', they said. This is typical for the infant calves of the okapi species, their handlers said. Zoo goers exploring the African Plains area of the Phoenix Park attraction 'may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of her in the coming days, and see just how much she has grown', Dublin Zoo team leader Helen Clarke said. The family's habitat is near the northeastern African cheetahs and not far from the Asian elephants in Dublin Zoo. The zoo has supported conservation efforts of the species since 2012 with financial support to rangers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are about 15,000 to 50,000 okapi in the world.
Al Jazeera
7 days ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
Workers scramble to find colleagues at collapsed DRC gold mine
NewsFeed Workers scramble to find colleagues at collapsed DRC gold mine Workers at a makeshift gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo are trying to dig out their colleagues after a tunnel collapsed on Sunday.
