Publication of Congo mining contract review welcome; renegotiations should be fair and transparent

Congolese and international non-governmental organisations today welcomed the publication of the review of mining contracts by the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and called on the government to ensure that the renegotiation of contracts is conducted openly and fairly.

“We are encouraged to see that the government has responded to civil society calls for the publication of the report,” said the NGOs. “This is an important step towards restoring confidence and transparency in the mining sector, but it marks the beginning, rather than the end of the process."

The NGOs expressed concern about the lack of clarity surrounding the critical next stage - the process of renegotiating contracts with companies. Many companies are already engaged in negotiations, even before the process has officially got off the ground. In at least one case, CAMEC, negotiations are said to have already been satisfactorily concluded.

The government should publicly outline the process it intends to follow, including the criteria used in the renegotiations, and publish the revised contracts.

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Fatal Transactions' partner Broederlijk Delen is an active member of the 'Fair share for Congo!' campaign. Read all about the campaign and the campaigns' activities for the revision of the Congolese mining contracts since March 2007 here.