US 'deeply concerned' about minerals supply chains from Rwanda and eastern DRC contributing to ongoing conflict
Washington, DC, US (PANA) - The US said in Tuesday that it is “deeply concerned” by the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the resulting humanitarian crisis.
It said in a press release issued by the State Department that in particular, the United States remains concerned about the role that the illicit trade and exploitation of certain minerals, including artisanally and semi-industrially mined gold and tantalum, from the African Great Lakes Region continues to play in financing conflict.
It said as demonstrated by the United Nations Group of Experts (GoE) and United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), statistical data, and civil society reporting, “it is evident that some traders – at times with support from various armed groups and security services – transport and export significant quantities of Congolese-origin minerals out of the country”.
In many cases, the US said, these minerals “directly or indirectly” benefit armed groups and move out of the country through Rwanda and to Uganda before moving to major refining and processing countries.
“These supply chains facilitate illicit exploitation and taxation of these minerals, often involving acts of corruption.”
The US said its concerns also include mineral extraction, transportation, and export, which have involved a wide range of human rights and labour rights abuses, such as forced labour, the worst forms of child labour, violations of the DRC’s minimum age for employment, and sexual and gender-based violence, particularly in certain artisanal mining areas.
The U.S. said it encourages “reform of flawed industry-led traceability initiatives” in the region through, among other things, greater transparency, and stronger due diligence mechanisms”.
The press statement noted that similar concerns have been documented since the early 2000s and have been the subject of legislative and regulatory action in the United States and elsewhere, as well as broader international attention and guidance since 2010.
The US said although there have been important changes and evolutions in standards development and subsequent implementation by many actors, risks associated with human rights and labour rights abuses, corruption, and conflict finance have escalated because of the renewed and ongoing serious conflict, particularly since 2023.
These risks include the takeover initially by the PARECO armed group and then the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group in April 2024 of a key tantalum mining area near the Congolese town of Rubaya and the control by non-state armed groups over gold mining areas in Fizi, South Kivu, and Ituri provinces, among others, as well as weak natural resource governance and flawed industry-managed traceability initiatives on the ground in the DRC and Rwanda.
Tantalum is considered a “critical mineral” by the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Department of Energy, and the DRC is the world’s leading producer.
The US said it is issuing the statement in response to requests from the private sector for the U.S. government to clarify potential risks associated with manufacturing products using minerals extracted, transported, or exported from the eastern DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda.
“These minerals are used extensively in the downstream production of electronic products, jewelry, automotive products, and many other manufactured goods throughout the world. The UN, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Responsible Minerals Initiative, and others have observed that increased in-region engagement and heightened due diligence by midstream and downstream companies related to their supply chains could help enable more consistent and adequate progress toward addressing these risks.”
The press release said the U.S. government continues to take steps aimed at helping transform the illicit flows of these minerals into a responsible trade rooted in the DRC that helps build the economic foundation for a sustainable peace in the DRC and the broader region.
These steps include encouraging responsible investment in and sourcing from the region, including by U.S. companies, identifying stronger due diligence mechanisms that U.S. and other companies can voluntarily implement in sourcing minerals from the African Great Lakes Region, and issuing periodic statements regarding conflict concerns in the region.
The US said despite concerns about the large volumes of conflict-affected and smuggled artisanal gold and tantalum, it recognises that some industrially-mined and artisanally-mined gold, tin, and tantalum from the region may meet standards applied by various due diligence frameworks.
“In addition, since 2013, many companies have demonstrated through their own efforts and through participation in implementation of specific initiatives and projects that the OECD due diligence framework can be implemented in a manner that enables companies to monitor supply chains appropriately and, if necessary, to adjust them in response to identified risks. Therefore, the U.S. government principally reiterates its concerns regarding minerals that are not responsibly sourced given connections to smuggling, armed conflict, and various human rights and labor rights abuses.”
“The U.S. government encourages reform of flawed industry-led traceability initiatives in the region through, among other things, greater transparency. More refiners, processors, smelters and end user companies could enhance their due diligence work and invest in upstream efforts to ensure U.S. and other midstream and downstream companies are not sourcing minerals that finance conflict or contribute to human and labor rights abuses, whether directly from the region, including neighbouring countries, or from smelters or refineries in countries that continue to accept such conflict-affected minerals,” the press statement said.
-0- PANA MA 9July2024
