2024-03-10 23:08:04
The General Cobalt Company (EGC) which will have the monopoly and control of cobalt from artisanal mining in the DRC should finally be operational. Gécamines, 95% majority shareholder, announced in February that it would provide this state company with five mining squares intended for artisanal mining. The creation of EGC should enable it to ensure a quality supply chain without violation of environmental standards and human rights.
With our correspondent in Lubumbashi, Denise Maheho
The news was very well received by the thousands of artisanal miners in the Katanga region, as most mine cobalt illegally on industrial sites. But Papy Nsenga, an artisanal miner from Kolwezi, is worried that all cooperatives do not have access to these mining squares. “ Today, we have more than 200,000 artisanal miners in Kolwezi. The city registers more than a hundred mining cooperatives which do not have their own sites, how many of them will access these five mining squares? », he questions.
A concern shared by Shadrack Mukad, member of the Understanding and Acting platform in the mining sector, CASMIA. The artisanal mining sector is invaded by political actors hiding behind mining cooperatives, he believes. What regarding those who don’t have support? “ Those who have been marginalized, these mining cooperatives which do not have a political umbrella should be privileged to exploit these five mining squares that Gécamines has granted to the EGC », estimated Shadrack Mukad.
Traceability and better remuneration
For its part, the General Cobalt Company first wants to clean up the supply chain of this strategic mineral for the energy transition. “First, we will be able to control access to artisanal mines, which means no more presence of children and vulnerable peopleexplains Eric Kalala, general manager of EGC. We will be able to distribute personal protective equipment to minors. We will be able to launch a traceability program and ensure better remuneration for artisans. »
The general director assures that they will be very strict regarding the allocation of these mining squares. “ Those who will be given access to the mines over which we have control will respect these ethical standards which are very demanding. The safety of minors also regarding their health and also more broadly the exclusivity of growth from our mines “, he assures.
Clean up the entire sector
For its part, the coalition Don’t touch my Cobaltanother structure of civil society, wants to see the Congolese state, which holds 5% of the shares in EGC, also provide support in the case of the Kasulo mine which is currently managed by a Chinese company.
Franck Fwamba is the coordinator of the organization: “ We are now asking the Congolese State which is a co-shareholder in EGC to cede the one and only artisanal zone of Kasulo which is also part of a Gécamines permit which had been taken to create an artisanal zone, in order to clean up the supply chain. »
In 2020, EGC had already signed, with the Swiss group Trafigura, an agreement to market artisanal cobalt from the DRC. In addition to its industrial production from the Mustoshi mine in Kolwezi, Trafigura intends to export between 5,000 and 10,000 tonnes of cobalt from artisanal mines.
Also read or listenDRC: the quest for ethical cobalt
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