DRC suspends mining agency chief over illegal mining
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Businessday
Congolese Mines Minister Louis Kabamba Watum has suspended Jean-Paul Kadiobo Kapongo, director-general of SAEMAPE, the agency responsible for artisanal mining, for failing to prevent illegal activities on concessions. The decision, taken on 21 October and communicated to authorities the following day, notably targets the mining provinces of Lualaba and Haut-Katanga, according to Reuters.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Minister of Mines, Louis Kabamba Watum, has suspended Jean-Paul Kadiobo Kapongo, director-general of SAEMAPE, the public agency responsible for overseeing artisanal and small-scale mining. The decision, taken on 21 October, accuses him of failing to prevent illegal mining on authorised concessions, particularly in the provinces of Lualaba and Haut-Katanga, according to an order seen by Reuters.
The order also accuses Jean-Paul Kadiobo Kapongo of irregularly setting up SAEMAPE revenue-collection services on mining concessions. This allegedly deprived permit holders of the full enjoyment of their rights and exposed the state to possible compensation claims linked to damage caused to third parties, reports Reuters.
The suspension took effect immediately and was communicated to public administrations and provincial authorities on 22 October. The DRC, the world’s leading cobalt producer and second-largest copper producer, is facing a resurgence in artisanal mining, fuelled by higher metal prices and an influx of informal miners into areas granted to industrial operators such as CMOC, Glencore, Ivanhoe Mines and ERG.
The measure comes as Kinshasa strengthens its mining reforms and oversight to improve governance and attract investment. The authorities also restarted activities this week at the Musompo mining trading centre, near Kolwezi, which is intended to make mineral sales more transparent through certified weighing and analysis.
