Stopping illegal mining in the Great Lakes area amidst the pandemic

AMERICAS

Stopping illegal mining in the Great Lakes area amidst the pandemic

What is required to curb the illicit sourcing and trafficking of mineral resources in Africa's Great Lakes region is an all-inclusive strategy involving all stakeholders. This is according to Gabor Beszterczey, the United Nations' senior program officer.

Beszterczey was a panelist at a recent Africa Mining Forum webinar entitled Attracting Responsible Mining and Natural Resources Investment in a Pandemic Climate in the Great Lakes Region.

Veronica Cody, Regional Coordinator for the Great Lakes Region, EEAS, EU; Ambassador Ambeyi Ligabo, Director of the Democracy and Good Governance Program, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR); and Marcus Courage, CEO of Africa Practice, who was also the moderator, joined the panel.

The Great Lakes countries of Africa are well supplied with natural resources and have one of the Earth's richest concentrations of precious minerals and metals. The mining and trade of minerals, however, is too often carried out illegally and often funded by non-state armed groups, further destabilizing the country. Moreover, these problems have been exacerbated by the onset of COVID-19.

Although many attempts have been made to address this problem, according to Beszterczey, challenges remain at the regional level. What is needed, however, is to focus efforts at a global level on addressing this.

THE PANDEMIC FACES GREATER RISKS

Cody, weighing in on the discussion, said the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative

effect on attempts to curb illicit mineral procurement. "The pandemic has put due diligence in the supply chain at risk, affecting the ability to reduce international border trafficking and enabling new actors and new patterns of mineral trafficking to emerge," she explained.

Cody added that new trends and threats have arisen because of the COVID-19 lockout. That said, some progress has been made in the tin, tantalite and tungsten fields, though gold remains a major concern as it continues to be trafficked illegally in large quantities outside the DRC. "Not only are armed groups beneficial to these activities, but corrupt state officials as well as international actors from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the United States are also part of the programme," she noted. of Responsible Mining and Sourcing Regulations, which will enter into force in January 2021. This ensures that all minerals collected are required to follow international requirements for responsible sourcing as set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD).

The Great Lakes countries of Africa are well supplied with natural resources and have one of the Earth's richest concentrations of precious minerals and metals. The mining and trade of minerals, however, is too often carried out illegally and often funded by non-state armed groups, further destabilizing the country.

PROGRESS SLOW BUT STEADY

In the meantime, Ligabo claimed that a declaration had been made at the special summit of the heads of state of the ICGLR in December 2010 to decide that the battle against the illicit exploitation of natural resources was part of the regional defense, sustainability and growth pact. A regional certification mechanism that is at the heart of this initiative is part of the programme. "We aim to have transparent and accountable supply chains for minerals from the mine site to export points."

Significant progress has been made in this aspect, according to Ligabo, but it is happening at a slow rate. "Instability has brought violence to the region of the Great Lakes, and while this remains a major challenge, it is addressed in our framework for peace, security and cooperation," he concluded.