Global Witness urges governments to act on findings of UN experts’ report on DRC

UN member states should take strong action in response to new information about companies and individuals who trade in minerals from areas of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) controlled by armed groups, Global Witness said today. The latest report from the Group of Experts was submitted to the UN Security Council last week, and subsequently leaked to a number of news organisations. Due to be officially published in December 2009, the report provides new and detailed evidence of the international mineral trading networks which Congolese armed groups rely on as a major source of finance. Mineral processors Thailand Smelting and Refining Company (THAISARCO) — part of the British metals group AMC — and Malaysian Smelting Corporation (MSC) are among the companies cited, once again, by the Group of Experts as sourcing minerals from suppliers who have links with some of the most violent armed groups. Image: globalwitness.org. More…

Message received by Covalence | Country: Democratic Republic of Congo | Company: AMC, Malaysian Smelting Corporation | Source: Global Witness | Correspondent: Jean Marie Bolika Lokumbo; Initiative Locale pour le Développement Intégré