27 residents sue COMMUS and Congolese state over mining pollution
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Actualité.cd
In Kolwezi, 27 residents, including eight children, are suing COMMUS, the Congolese state and the Congolese Environment Agency over pollution they attribute to a copper and cobalt mine. The first public hearing, held on 3 November at the Kolwezi Commercial Court, dealt with procedure, reports Actualite.cd.
Twenty-seven residents of Kolwezi, including eight children, are suing mining company COMMUS, the Congolese state and the Congolese Environment Agency (ACE), whom they hold responsible for pollution and health damage linked to the copper and cobalt mine. The claimants have taken their case to the Kolwezi Commercial Court, reports Actualité.cd.
The first public hearing, held on 3 November, dealt with procedural matters. The court has not yet examined the substance of the case. COMMUS, controlled by China’s Zijin Mining Group, is accused by residents of polluting and diverting a nearby stream. One claimant says the water causes skin problems and that residents can no longer find fish.
The claimants also accuse the authorities of failing to adequately monitor mining activities or enforce environmental legislation. They say they have been unable to consult the mine’s environmental and social impact assessment, which Congolese mining legislation provides should be publicly accessible.
The proceedings follow the launch of a Congolese judicial investigation into mining fraud, announced on 2 November after 500 seizures. The mining fraud investigation concerns another case in the Congolese mining sector.
