A View of Events Congo from Small Scale Mining Representative Axel Mutia MBurano

Introduction: The Dodd-Frank Bill, which aims to prohibit the use of rare metals and minerals that fund conflicts in the Great Lakes region of Africa, is drastically impacting the small scale miner. In fact, the legislation has put perhaps hundreds of thousands of small scale miners out of work. This number does not only include “slave miners” but others producing minerals that are far from any conflict at all, many of which do not formally work for any company. Soon, the bill will continue to wreak it’s havoc on the small scale mining communities of eight surrounding countries.

It is not that we oppose the bill’s intentions. Rather, the inadequate planning and consultation is hurting those who it was intended to help. In this email from Axel Mutia MBurano, Speaker for Artisan Mining in North Kivu, DRCongo, we learn more about the collateral damage of Dodd-Frank.
~ Marc Choyt, FJA USA

LETTER FROM AXEX MUTIA MBURANO

The reality in the East of the Democratic of the Congo that everybody must know is that artisanal mining activity gives jobs to more than 100,000 miners and their families.

You must also know that the East Congo is coming from a big war which made big damage and consequences to all the population.

We are depending in general with the help of NGOs, but this must stop because when the NGOs bring $100USD, they give to the population only $20, and keep the remaining $80.00 themselves.

Now we want to work to support our self and our life. The one way for this in our country is the artisanal mining activity. So if someone wants to show internationally that the artisanal mining activity is bad, this says that he does not know the reality and he is talking for other purpose, not for us, the local population and miners.

Can you imagine the problem of life we have now since the electronics industry stops buying the minerals from East of Congo!!! The economy of the Orth Kivu is down, and if it will continue in this way, the population is going to die.

This grows the risk of the young boys to join the army groups because there’s no jobs for them. The only way of life for them is to become a pickpocket or rebel in the bush and thief on the road.

We must think about this situation slowly. I am sure that if we can’t create jobs, the situation in East of Congo will not change now.

In my letter to the US Exchange Commission, I showed that it is possible to continue to work and make together a strategy to control the chain of provisions of the mineral from the east of Congo and all the Great Lake region of Africa.

I am sure that if you give use time to implement our model of FAIRMINING together with ITRI, we will succeed.

Wait and see.

Axel MUTIA MBURANO
speaker of local artisal mining in North Kivu, DRCongo
tel:+243 853129865; +243 994809145

Please note:

FJA is a forum open to a diversity of opinions in support of its mission. Any editorial expressed in this article represents the opinion of the author, and not necessarily the views of Fair Jewelry Action members.

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