Mining industry in the DRC: controversy surrounding the Itie Board of Directors

Text by: Sonia Rolley Follow

While the Board of Directors of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (Itie), meets virtually on June 16 and 17, this controversy in the Democratic Republic of Congo: following a decision of the Council of State, the coordinator History of Itie, Professor Jeremy Mack Dumba, suspended since September 2017, has just been rehabilitated, while a process had finally resulted in the recruitment of his successor. This case is creaking teeth on the side of civil society. Professor Mack Dumba, who led Itie in the DRC, was accused of embezzlement.

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Professor Mack Dumba nominated the DRC for Itie in 2013, which ended up being accepted, raising real hope for better traceability of Congolese mining revenues. However, as of 2014, reports have reported mismanagement within this institution. The business broke out in 2017 when the government and employers asked for the suspension of Professor Mack Dumba.

A return that makes your teeth cringe

At the time, civil society, which is also a stakeholder in this initiative, was divided and only took note. Three years later, the announcement of this return cringes. Since the beginning of the year, under pressure from donors, including the IMF, a recruitment process had been started. An open call for applications. Some 150 people responded. After several weeks of selection, under international observation, of the European Union and German cooperation, a candidate had been retained at the end of February.

The successor still not named

But the months passed and the happy elected, Jean-Jacques Kayembe, was not appointed by President Tshisekedi. Professor Mack Dumba never ceases to proclaim his innocence, and obtains his rehabilitation by pleading the procedural error in his suspension, it was a minister who dismissed him and not the president who appointed him. For civil society, which today seems more united on the issue, difficult to absolve it on the merits.

Read also: DRC: announcement of the suspension of leaders of the Bakwanga Mining

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