Illegal mining still fuelling conflict in Great Lakes
Kenya’s Minister for Internal Security George Saitoti (right) and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Minister for International Co-operation Raymond Tshibanda exchange a joint communique on elimination of illegal mining at Harambee House. Picture: File
The illegal exploitation of minerals in the Great Lakes region continues to fuel conflicts despite ongoing efforts to curb the illicit trade costing countries millions of dollars in revenues.
Through the International Conference on Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), member countries and other co-opted members such as Angola, have been collaborating to stop this exploitation by minimising conflicts in the affected areas.
Most affected country is the mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where minerals targeted are coltan, gold, cobalt and the tin family.
But the most illegally exploited is coltan, which is used in electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers.
The minerals are transported in small aircraft from the mines in rebel-held areas or to the orders of some rich companies from outside the continent in collusion with corrupt government officials. Minerals mined in one country are often exported clandestinely to one or more neighbouring countries in order to disguise their origins.
In April, an International Crisis Group report showed that the belligerents partly finance their activities from the sale of gold, wolframite, coltan and cassiterite — minerals much prized by the electronics industry and valued at around $60 million per year.
The DRC in September 2010 slapped a six-month ban on mining and trade in minerals in the volatile eastern districts of Maniema and North and South Kivu until the government succeeded in clamping down on illegal mining, with the government arguing that rebel groups have been exploiting some of the world’s most sought after minerals to finance military activities.
In Uganda, the Busitema Gold Mining Company in Busia district recently reported that the government is losing close to $30 million annually through illegal gold mining by locals who have encroached on its 51 acre land.
In October last year, ministers from the Great Lakes region met in Nairobi to draft a plan to combat the illicit trade in minerals. Part of the strategy included plans to harmonise laws, formalise the mining sector, increase transparency and create a database to trace the origin of minerals bound for export.
This was a follow-up to the ICGLR heads of state and governments special summit in Zambia in 2010, where the Lusaka Declaration to address the problem of the illegal exploitation of resources was adopted.
They developed six tools which include: establishing a regional mineral certification tracking mechanism; harmonisation of national laws among member states, and membership to the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative.
Other measures are whistle blowing mechanisms; creating a regional data exchange system and the formalisation of artisanal miners in respective countries.
At a recent media sensitisation workshop in Nairobi, experts revealed how these illegally acquired minerals are transported and sold in faraway markets like India, Spain, Brazil, China and Belgium.
ICGLR is an inter-governmental body that brings together 11 countries in attempt to bring about sustainable peace, security and development.
It was founded in 1990s at the time of conflicts in DRC and the 1994 Rwanda genocide. Its members are Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, DRC, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Angola.
Executive secretary, Liberata Mulamula, said the regional approach to the problem is bearing fruit but countries have to eliminate all forms of conflicts.
One of the major conduits for this trade in eastern Congo, was the former leader of the National Congress for the Defence of the People in Norther Kivu until the co-operation between DRC and Rwanda led to his arrest in January 2009.
Nkunda had based his existence on the presence of the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR) which is made up largely of Hutu militiamen implicated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The lucrative illegal mineral trade provides the FDLR with a consistent source of funding for arms has been the main reason behind their resistance to disarmament and repatriation efforts.
Mr Poghisio said that the initiative of the Kenya National Coordinating Mechanism “Is a strong reflection of Kenya’s commitment to the ICGLR process and to fight against illegal mining and trading of our minerals both locally and internationally”.
Dorine Ninataziwe, the ICGLR media Associate from Burundi noted that although Kenya has not directly experienced these activities, the country has been a major recipient of refugees from Rwanda, Burundi and DRC as result of conflicts generated by the illegal exploitation of minerals.
