DRC Ambassador Urges British Parliamentarians to Back Investment in Congolese Mining Industry

LONDON, June 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

Addressing a meeting for the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Great Lakes Region
of Africa, Ambassador Barnabe Kikaya bin Karubi urged British Parliamentarians to
recognise the positive steps that have been taken to safeguard and secure the Democratic
Republic of the Congo’s mining industry for the benefit of its people.

In recent years, British Parliamentarians have become increasingly concerned at who is
benefiting from the mining industry in the DRC and the subject has been debated heavily in
both Houses of Parliament. The Congolese Ambassador took this opportunity to reassure
members of the APPG about the partnership approach taken by the DRC Ministry of Mines
towards extraction of natural resources in the DRC.

Seeking to address the UK Government’s concerns, the Ambassador assured the
Parliamentarians that the DRC government wants a strong and well regulated mining
industry, actively encourages transparency and continues to encourage a strong, ethical
and pro-business culture.

Members from both Houses of Parliament were informed by His Excellency Barnabe Kikaya
bin Karubi that the mining industry is rigorously regulated. The Ambassador took the
opportunity to explain the Mining Code that the DRC operates, impressing that it offers a
transparent framework for the exploration, development and mining of mineral resources.

Parliamentarians were informed that there is significant competition between
international investors for the natural resources in the DRC and that Mining companies are
subjected to high levels of due diligence.

The Ambassador laid the blame for inaccurate speculation over the beneficiaries of
asset transfers on over-enthusiastic NGOs who occasionally found themselves injecting
unnecessary controversy to gain publicity for their work. He insisted that at no point
have friends, business partners or acquaintances of the President benefited from secret
sales. The discussion focused on how far the DRC has come in recent years from a war zone
to operating a profitable industry and a country that has been applauded by the IMF and
the World Bank.

To close the meeting Ambassador Barnabe Kikaya bin Karubi reassured those present that
he would continue to engage with the UK Government to ensure that rumours put about by
critics of the current Government were dispelled. He left pledging to remain in dialogue
with British Parliamentarians so that they could work together to increase their
understanding of the mining industry in the DRC.

SOURCE DRC London Embassy