Border closure to Zambia hits Congo miners

LUBUMBASHI – A decision by the governor of Congo’s mineral-rich province of Katanga to halt the export of ore to neighbouring Zambia for processing is hurting foreign mining firms, executives said on Thursday.

Governor Moise Katumbi closed Katanga’s border with Zambia to trucks bearing copper and cobalt ore from March 3, citing mining regulations in Democratic Republic of Congo which specify that raw ore should only be transported when it cannot be processed locally. “We are continuing to operate but we have 47 trucks stopped at the border,” said Koen Delepielle, Africa Director for Belgian transport and logistics company Polytra, the largest exporter of processed ore from Katanga.”It’s starting to be a big problem.In a few more days we are going to have to shut down,” he said, adding that security forces had stopped all trucks, not just those carrying raw ore.Polytra transports processed ore for some of the most important companies operating in the region, including Kinross-Forrest, a joint venture between Kinross Gold and family-run George Forrest International Afrique.George Forrest, the head of the company, said that tightening customs in Congo would generate enough revenue to resolve problems caused by a 1998-2003 war, which killed nearly 4 million people mainly through hunger and disease.He said closing the border was a step toward banning the export of raw material and he supported the governor’s move – which came as Zambia levelled corruption allegations against the Congolese official, who previously had business dealings there.Nampa-Reuters”We are continuing to operate but we have 47 trucks stopped at the border,” said Koen Delepielle, Africa Director for Belgian transport and logistics company Polytra, the largest exporter of processed ore from Katanga.”It’s starting to be a big problem.In a few more days we are going to have to shut down,” he said, adding that security forces had stopped all trucks, not just those carrying raw ore.Polytra transports processed ore for some of the most important companies operating in the region, including Kinross-Forrest, a joint venture between Kinross Gold and family-run George Forrest International Afrique.George Forrest, the head of the company, said that tightening customs in Congo would generate enough revenue to resolve problems caused by a 1998-2003 war, which killed nearly 4 million people mainly through hunger and disease.He said closing the border was a step toward banning the export of raw material and he supported the governor’s move – which came as Zambia levelled corruption allegations against the Congolese official, who previously had business dealings there.Nampa-Reuters