Cobalt, copper mining in DRC fuelling forced evictions — report

A group of mining companies extracting and searching for cobalt and copper in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are said to have triggered forced evictions, threats and intimidation against locals, according to human-rights groups.

In a report published Tuesday, Amnesty International and the DRC-based Initiative for Good Governance and Human Rights said the race to secure key battery metals, such as cobalt and copper, has led to the forced eviction of entire communities and grievous human rights abuses. 

The two organizations point to multinationals, including ERG Africa’s Metalkol, which they say has been linked to allegations of violence including sexual assault, in connection with the patrolling of the concession by military forces.

Responding to similar allegations last year, Metalkol highlighted its commitment to respecting universally recognized human rights and labour standards. “We take our obligations in this regard extremely seriously, including strictly applying our commitments to our contractors and suppliers,” it said.

The report also names DRC’s state miner Gécamines and COMMUS for allegedly forcing communities around Kolwezi’s copper and cobalt mine to relocate.

DRC-registered mining company Chemaf is also mentioned as meddling with the move of the informal settlement of Mukumbi, located within the Mutoshi copper and cobalt mining concession.

Canada’s Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) is another miner mentioned in the report. Allegations against the Vancouver-based firm, however, only refer to supplying “substandard” accommodation to families evicted in 2017 to accommodate the development of its Kakula copper mine. 

In 2016, the Kamoa Copper mining company — in which Ivanhoe owns a 39.6% stake — identified 45 households across a 21-square-kilometre area for relocation. The company promised to build 45 resettlement houses in the town of Muvunda at its own expense. 

“Unfortunately, the living conditions the families encountered in 2017 after their eviction fell short of international human rights standards and violated DRC law,” the report Powering Change or Business as Usual? says. 

The authors go on to saying that the substitute houses Kamoa built in Muvunda were not equipped to meet basic needs, as they lack of running water, electricity, or connection to a sewage system.

MINING.COM reached out to Ivanhoe Mines but did not receive a comment on the topic by publication time.

The UN’s Basic Principles and Guidelines on Development-based Evictions and Displacement stipulates that relocation sites must satisfy the criteria for adequate housing under international human rights law. These criteria include, among other basic amenities, access to potable water, energy for heating and cooking, washing and sanitation facilities, and education, health and childcare services. 

Similar allegations against Ivanhoe made in 2020 were denied by the company. At the time, human-rights groups said the miner confined workers to their mine site for more than two months under the threat of losing their jobs if they left the site. These claims were made as most of the world was facing mandatory pandemic lockdowns.

A fair transition

“In the rush to build a green economy, Canadian companies must not trample over the lives and livelihoods of anyone they perceive to stand in their way,” Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section said in a statement. “We must ensure that affected communities have access to accountability and justice when their rights are under threat.” 

“Amnesty International recognizes the vital function of rechargeable batteries in the energy transition from fossil fuels,” Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s global Secretary General noted. “But climate justice demands a just transition. Decarbonizing the global economy must not lead to further human rights violations.” 

Ivanhoe Mines began producing copper concentrates at the asset, the biggest copper project to come online in decades, in May 2021 and commercial production was achieved on July 1 that year. Production has frequently surpassed guidance or reached the highest end of the forecast range.

In the past two years, Kamoa-Kakula has generated $1.22 billion of net cash from operating activities, which has funded both the Phase 2 and Phase 3 expansion activities to date.

Ivanhoe is now advancing the Phase 3 expansion of the Kamoa-Kakula, which includes a 500,000-tonne-per-annum, direct-to-blister flash smelter. This expansion is expected to be completed on schedule in late 2024.

The DRC is the world’s top producer of cobalt and Africa’s biggest producer of copper.