Second region of the Congo in terms of area, located in the north of the country, the Sangha has a subsoil rich in gold. It also has invaluable forest resources, according to the Congolese Human Rights Observatory (OCDH) which, in a report published Monday, August 21, reported the looting behind closed doors of these riches by Chinese companies and West Africans.
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With our correspondent in Brazzaville, Loicia Martial
In its report, the result of a field survey, the OCDH judges ” worrying ” this situation. The NGO blames a flagrant governance flaw within the Congolese state. “ What is happening in the Sangha is simply looting behind closed doors with disregard for human rights and the environment. Mineral resources are plundered without government intervention, and without benefiting the local populations of the Sangha », notes Franck Chardin Aubin Tchibinda, executive director of the OCDH.
The exploitation of mines and forests is the work of Chinese and West African companies that pay no taxes and obey no regulations, says the OCDH. ” We do not have the exact number of mining companies, quite simply because there are those that register, but others pass without the local authorities being informed. It is not easy to map these companies because the mines are managed in an opaque way in this area “, specifies Franck Chardin Aubin Tchibinda.
Official sources contacted did not wish to react to this OCDH report and claim not to have received a copy. The organization promised to send them the document on Tuesday.
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