Congo Miners Seek to Resume Tin Exports from North Kivu

Dow Jones reported that Congolese miners are finalizing plans to resume tin exports in the next few weeks from North Kivu, an area that has been under the de-facto embargo since 1st April 2011, and affected by the mining suspension of the DRC Government for 6 months prior to that. Government officials are in the process of validating more than a dozen mining sites in the territories of Walikale and Masisi, which according to the head of the North Kivu Miners Association, Emmanuel Ndimubanzi should allow the resumption of mining activities and shipments “very soon”. However, international mineral buyers require a range of assurances and have to ensure due diligence has been carried out in order to resume purchases and it is not certain that validation of the mines will be sufficient. This follows reports in July that miners in eastern Congo had started a petition to be allowed to restart mining in Walikale signed by five cooperatives of artisanal miners as well as mine owners, traditional chiefs and other supporters. The petition explained that the security situation would allow for the resumption of mining activities, whereas a continuation of the ban “risks having serious effects on security owing to increased youth unemployment.” Until the embargo North Kivu used to account for at least 80% of Congo’s total tin output. While the security situation is improving, the iTSCi Programme would require new funding sources to begin operating in Walikale.