Walter Turner is talking to someone from Friends of the Congo
at this very moment on KPFA. Good work, Ann.
------- Forwarded message follows -------
To: Fulcrumsofchange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
Alliance List <alliance@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Turner Walter <waturner@xxxxxxx>,
Bay View San Francisco <editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Ann Garrison <anniegarrison@xxxxxxx>
Date sent: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:56:15 -0700
Subject: [Fulcrumsofchange] Fwd: Congo Government Finally
Publishes Mines
Review
If this is true, it's great news. I am too tired to read anything
but the introduction tonight, but the introduction
looks far far better than anything I'd imagined possible. I'm
trying not to be overly hopeful until I read the whole
thing tomorrow, but maybe someone on this list will read it before I
do and let me know what you think. ---Annie
Begin forwarded message:
> From: Friends of the Congo <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: March 20, 2008 1:15:42 PM PDT
> To: anniegarrison@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Congo Government Finally Publishes Mines Review
> Reply-To: info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
> Congo Government Finally Publishes Mines Review
>
> The Congolese government, in the wake of the Carter Center press
> release on March 10, 2008 and at the end of a five-day mining
> conference in the Congo, published the final report of the mining
> contract review (www.miningcongo.cd), which was initiated in April
> 2007.
>
> The report indicated that the government launched the review
> process to make certain that Congo's mineral wealth benefit the
> people of the Congo. In order to achieve this goal the government
> had to review 61 existing mining contracts and establish a process
> for rectifying the abusive contracts. Deputy Mines Minister Victor
> Kasongo noted "that none of the contracts met international
> standards of contracts."
>
> Some major companies whose contracts will be renegotiated include
> but are not limited to BHP Billiton, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold
> Inc, and diamond producer De Beers, which is 45-percent owned by
> Anglo American.
>
> The Carter Center, which was a part of the review commission, was
> unequivocally clear about the lopsided and odious nature of the
> contracts under review. It observed that there has been a lack of
> support by multilateral institutions and foreign countries where
> the mining companies reside. This lack of support is not surprising
> considering the well-documented collusion of the World Bank,
> foreign countries and mining companies in facilitating the
> systematic looting of Congo's natural resources. As Antonio
> Guterres noted in his January 2008 interview with the Financial
> Times, "The international community has systematically looted DRC
> and we should not forget that."
>
> In the final analysis, what is at stake is who will control and
> benefit from Congo's wealth for the next generation. Will it be
> foreign mining companies in cahoots with local elites or the
> Congolese people who have lost 5.4 million of their countrymen and
> women in what has been called the deadliest conflict since World
> War II? The Congolese population continues to live in crushing
> poverty where 80 percent of the people live on 30 cents or less per
> day.
>
> It is critical that the global community remain vigilant and
> engaged so that the Congolese people benefit from their resources
> and are not condemned to another generation of abject poverty and
> intractable dependency. A key element in insuring that the people
> benefit is that the re-negotiating process, which has already begun
> be open and transparent.
>
> Click here for more information regarding the mining review
> process, key recommendations and its implications for the people of
> the Congo.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> email: info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> phone: 202-584-6512
> web: http://www.friendsofthecongo.org
>
>
>
>
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