[miningmx.com] – UP to 10 tonnes of gold a year was being smuggled
through Burundi from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a report
by UK-based lobbyist, Global Witness.
Citing a report by Global Witness, Bloomberg News reported that the gold was being
sent to Dubai and was occurring despite regulations issued last year by the DRC’s
mines ministry requiring traders to purchase minerals from a limited number of
approved mines in eastern Congo.
“This illicit trade equates to a loss of tax revenue for the Congolese state, and
undermines efforts to break the links between the gold trade and the financing of
abusive armed groups,’ Bloomberg News quoted Global Witness as saying.
In addition to smuggling by the DRC army, rebel groups also participate in the trade
including the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), and Raia Mutumboki,Global Witness said.
Eastern Congo, which shares borders with Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, has suffered
conflict for more than 15 years. The region is rich in tin ore, tungsten, and tantalum,
and armed groups and members of the army sometimes profit from mineral sales,
Bloomberg News said.
