THE Democratic Republic of Congo is negotiating with an unnamed private company to train more than 20,000 armed guards to protect its mines, in a bid to improve the industry’s tarnished reputation, said Bloomberg News.
The new force, authorised by a decree expected shortly, will guard large-scale commercial operations, help formalise artisanal mining sites and improve mineral export traceability, said the newswire citing the Congo’s Inspector General of Mines, Rafael Kabengele. It will ultimately replace all police and military personnel currently deployed at mining and processing facilities, he said.
“The principle has been agreed upon,” Kabengele told Bloomberg News.
Training is scheduled to begin in September, with the first battalion expected in the copper-rich Katanga region by January. Kabengele said the trainers have no connection to Erik Prince, founder of private military contractor Blackwater.
Congo holds some of the world’s most significant deposits of copper, cobalt, lithium, gold, tin, tantalum and zinc. However, artisanal miners frequently operate illegally on concessions held by international companies, and minerals are routinely smuggled, particularly in the conflict-affected east. Major operators include Glencore, CMOC, Zijin Mining and Barrick Mining.
The General Inspectorate said earlier this year it would invest $100m in the initiative, with funding from the US and UAE. However, the US State Department told Bloomberg it is not involved and has no plans to provide funding, despite Kabengele’s assertion that Washington was prepared to assist.
Congo signed a strategic minerals partnership with the Trump administration in December, granting US companies preferential access to certain Congolese mining and infrastructure projects.
