The chairman of the state mining company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was ousted on Friday after years of allegations that billions of dollars in revenue had gone missing, a move officials said was intended to fight corruption as the country becomes more important in the global clean energy revolution.
The New York Times published an article about new allegations against Albert Yuma Mulimbi, the chairman of the company.
The Gcamines agency controls the production of metals such as copper and cobalt, which are crucial in the push to expand electric vehicles and other renewable energy sources. Mr. Yuma's role in partnering with international companies over major mining deals will no longer be significant.
The development is a significant step in the fight against corruption in the country, said J. Peter Pham, who was a senior Central Africa official with the U.S. State Department. The mining sector is at the center of natural resources, political and economic power in the country.
One industry executive said that Mr. Yuma would retain his role in supervising the reform of small-scale and informal mining in the country. He wants to buy cobalt from the informal miners and regulate pricing. 30 percent of the nation's output is derived from cobalt, which is produced by artisanal mining.
He plans to increase safety at these sites. Child labor and frequent injuries and deaths associated with such mining have drawn international attention and caused new U.S. investors to flee.
Dionne Searcey and Eric Lipton are from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Dionne Searcey and Eric Lipton are from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The New York Times has a person named Gilbertson.
Hundreds of men wearing plastic headlamps and hoisting shovels are trudging into the mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo on most days.
Here's the story.
Dionne Searcey and Eric Lipton are from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The New York Times has a person named Gilbertson.
The canyon was once a thriving village until someone found a chunk of metal while doing construction. The metal is used in cellphones and electric vehicle batteries.
Dionne Searcey and Eric Lipton are from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The area near Kasulo has seen a noticeable increase in the price of cobalt in recent years. Hundreds of thousands of tons ofore are produced by giant mines.
Regular people and sometimes children grab a pickax and start digging. They are known as artisanal miners.
Dionne Searcey and Eric Lipton are from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The New York Times has a person named Gilbertson.
When deep tunnels collapse, artisan work can be dangerous. Some people steal rocks from industrial mines and sell them to international traders at makeshift depots.
Dionne Searcey and Eric Lipton are from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The New York Times has a person named Gilbertson.
The government is trying to clean up the mining industry in the country. Some corporations have made safety pledges.
Dionne Searcey and Eric Lipton are from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The New York Times has a person named Gilbertson.
A large part of the industry is artisanal mining. The majority of the country's cobalt production comes from small-scale mining. It is not clear whether the plans for reform will turn into reality.
Nov. 29, 2021.
The country is a major producer of both copper and cobalt. Gcamine was criticized for signing deals with foreign mining companies, including entities backed by the Chinese government. The country's mineral wealth was turned over to foreigners.
The State Department had urged the Biden administration to impose sanctions on Mr. Yuma, who had been accused of swindling mining revenues.
He was banned from entering the United States and has hired a team of lobbyists and lawyers in Washington to try to head off any sanctions that could freeze his money in international banks.
One of the richest businessmen in the country, Mr. Yuma, did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. He called the accusations against him fabrications in a series of interviews with The Times.
He said in one document that his critics wanted to sully his reputation and blur his major role in favor of the country through the reform of its mining policy.
Gcamine has been one of the largest sources of revenue in the country, controlling concessions and collecting royalties from international mining companies. The firm generated $324 million last year.
American officials believe that Mr. Yuma was put in charge of the agency by the former president, Joseph Kabila, to divert agency funds towards political ends.
He was reappointed chairman in 2019. The United States objected to Mr. Yuma being considered to serve as prime minister of the country because he was planning to be Mr. Kabila's proxy.
The administrative council of Gécamines was named to by Mr. Tshisekedi three years ago. The new appointment was announced on national television on Friday.
Leon Mwine, who was appointed by Mr. Tshibakedi to a top post at Gcamines in 2019, said that executives realized they had to prove to the world that the agency could change course.
Mr. Mwine said that honesty and transparency are core values that need to be competitive on the international market.
