The Congolese presidency, has stated that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has entered into a $1.9 billion agreement with a state mining company from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to develop a minimum of four mines in the volatile eastern region of the African country.
The partnership was signed in Kinshasa, the capital, by a delegation representing the Emirati government and the Societe Aurifere du Kivu et du Maniema (Sakima), as announced by President Felix Tshisekedi’s office on Monday.
The statement revealed that the deal would involve the establishment of “more than four industrial mines” in the provinces of South Kivu and Maniema. Sakima, a state-owned entity, already holds mining concessions for various minerals, including tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold, in that particular region of the DRC.
However, specific information about the minerals to be extracted was not disclosed in the statement.
This agreement comes after the DRC signed a 25-year contract in December with Primera Group, a UAE firm, granting export rights for certain ores obtained through artisanal mining. Artisanal mining refers to the extraction of metals by independent miners who are not employed by mining companies.
Under the contract, Primera Group acquired a majority stake in two joint ventures, namely Primera Gold and Primera Metals. These ventures secured favorable export rates for artisanally mined gold, coltan, tin, tantalum, and tungsten.
The DRC has positioned this initiative as a means to counteract mineral smugglers and improve the livelihoods of informal miners, who have long been affected by the presence of militias in the eastern region. The area has been plagued by up to 120 such groups, as estimated by the United Nations, sustained in part by the illicit trade of minerals.
The longstanding conflict there has continued despite deployments of a regional peacekeeping force and a UN military contingent. At least 5 million people are internally displaced and one million more have fled abroad since the latest iteration of the conflict broke out in May 2021, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Primera Gold began operations in South Kivu province in January and by May had shipped 1 tonne of certified gold, according to the Congolese finance ministry.