Human rights NGO Amnesty International has published a report on the impact of mining operations on the rights of local populations. Entitled “Fuelling change or the status quo? Forced evictions in industrial cobalt and copper mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo”, the report calls on the international community to address the injustices suffered by local communities as a result of mining operations. It notes that the Democratic Republic of Congo is a key player in the energy transition process, thanks to its mineral reserves.
“The progressive electrification of the world’s transport systems, including the increasing manufacture of electric vehicles, requires large and growing quantities of copper and cobalt”, the report states.
According to the report, everyone agrees that the burning of fossil fuels is the main cause of climate change, which is harming people and destroying biodiversity. The climate emergency is a catalyst for the international community’s efforts to decarbonise the global economy and is encouraging governments to invest in renewable energy sources.
Energy-based technologies are powered by minerals such as copper, cobalt and lithium. “Copper is the most widely used mineral in clean energy technologies, while cobalt is an essential mineral in most lithium-ion batteries”, the report reveals. Seen in this light, the DRC’s copper and cobalt reserves make it a key player in the energy transition process.
The DRC has the seventh largest copper reserves in the world. It is the third largest producer of this mineral in the world.
It also holds more than half the world’s cobalt reserves and accounts for more than 70% of global production.
Many of the country’s most productive cobalt and copper mines are located in Kolwezi, a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Lualaba province.
Georges YOUL
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