US sanctions armed group, Hong Kong firms over Congo mining

 

The US sanctioned an armed group and two Hong Kong-based firms linked to violence and illegal mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, part of what officials said was an effort to combat exploitation of conflict minerals in the region.

 

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed penalties on PARECO-FF, a successor movement to what it said was an armed group with a history of “destabilizing activities in the DRC,” according to a statement. The group “imposed forced labor and executed civilians in mining areas under its control,” the Treasury statement said.

 

Also sanctioned were East Rise Corporation Limited and Star Dragon Corporation Limited, for purchasing the illicitly-procured minerals, as well as the Congolese mining company Cooperative des Artisanaux Miniers du Congo.

 

The sanctions focus on entities working in Rubaya, a rich mining area of eastern Congo and one of the world’s largest sources of tantalum ore, which is used in electronics.

 

The move comes soon after the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda agreed to a peace deal meant to end years of deadly conflict and promote development in Congo’s volatile eastern region. The US backed the deal, which seeks to end to the occupation of a large swath of mineral-rich eastern Congo by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group.

 

“The Treasury Department will not hesitate to take action against groups that deny the United States and our allies access to the critical minerals vital for our national defense,” Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley said in a statement. 

https://www.mining.com/web/us-sanctions-armed-group-mining-firms-over-illicit-congo-minerals/