New report from Global Witness details fraud, abuse and exploitation in Katanga's copper and cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo
11 July 2006
A new report released by the London-based watchdog Global Witness provides convincing research on widespread exploitation and corruption by local elites and international extraction companies in mineral-rich Katanga Province in southeast DR Congo. The report, entitled
Digging in Corruption, documents the illicit trafficking of minerals across the border to Zambia, deriving major profits for those involved but no benefit for the struggling DRC economy or the war-torn local communities. This report provides timely analysis of the ongoing challenges in DRC as the country prepares to hold its first democratic elections in 45 years.