DRC diamonds resurface in NA

NAMIBIA’S controversial involvement in a diamond mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to resurface in the National Assembly next week.

After a number of years of silence as to whether Namibia is actively involved in diamond mining in the war-torn country, the DTA’s McHenry Venaani on Wednesday asked the Mines and Energy Minister to provide answers on Namibia’s status on this score. In 2001, the then Prime Minister Hage Geingob dismissed questions on the subject in the National Assembly, and instead made a statement in which he confirmed that Namibia had been offered a mine to defray the costs of Namibia’s military presence in the country.Venaani is expecting a response from the Minister of Mines and Energy, Erkki Nghimtina, on whether Government has any companies owning diamond mines in the DRC, or shares in mining companies operating there.He also wants to know whether the Ministry of Defence’s commercial arm, the August 26 Company, has any involvement in the diamond trade or any other related trade in the DRC.A further question put to the Minister is how much profit has been generated through Namibia’s involvement in mining in the DRC.Should there be any other Namibian companies involved in mining operations in the DRC, Venaani would like to know which these are and who their shareholders are.Venaani posed the question in light of an apparent concern that Namibia has in the past been implicated by the UN as a country linked to the blood-diamond trade.Nghimtina was the Minister of Defence when controversy was sparked over Namibia’s involvement in a diamond mine at Tshikapa in the south of the DRC.Prospecting at the mine was said to have been done at the end of 2000, but no mining activity was immediately planned because the mine was situated in a war zone.Nghimtina said at the time that instead of accepting the mine, Namibia opted for mining rights for five years from 1999.In 2001, the then Prime Minister Hage Geingob dismissed questions on the subject in the National Assembly, and instead made a statement in which he confirmed that Namibia had been offered a mine to defray the costs of Namibia’s military presence in the country.Venaani is expecting a response from the Minister of Mines and Energy, Erkki Nghimtina, on whether Government has any companies owning diamond mines in the DRC, or shares in mining companies operating there.He also wants to know whether the Ministry of Defence’s commercial arm, the August 26 Company, has any involvement in the diamond trade or any other related trade in the DRC.A further question put to the Minister is how much profit has been generated through Namibia’s involvement in mining in the DRC.Should there be any other Namibian companies involved in mining operations in the DRC, Venaani would like to know which these are and who their shareholders are.Venaani posed the question in light of an apparent concern that Namibia has in the past been implicated by the UN as a country linked to the blood-diamond trade.Nghimtina was the Minister of Defence when controversy was sparked over Namibia’s involvement in a diamond mine at Tshikapa in the south of the DRC.Prospecting at the mine was said to have been done at the end of 2000, but no mining activity was immediately planned because the mine was situated in a war zone.Nghimtina said at the time that instead of accepting the mine, Namibia opted for mining rights for five years from 1999.

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