ERG unit urges Congo to halt illegal mining

A UNIT of Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) has called on the Democratic Republic of Congo to end illegal mining on one of its copper concessions after a landslide killed and injured an unspecified number of people, said Bloomberg News.The March 11 landslide was caused by illicit mining activity, said the newswire citing a statement by Boss Mining SAS on Thursday. The company, in which ERG holds a 51% stake, said Congolese authorities should restore its “lawful access to these areas.”Boss Mining said it had been alerting Congo’s government since 2022 to “significant risks posed by the heavy presence of illegal, semi-mechanised and unauthorised” mining on its concession. The firm’s employees “have been denied access to this site due to the presence of unauthorised armed individuals,” it added.Congo’s mineral-rich southeastern region has made the country the world’s leading supplier of cobalt and its second-largest producer of copper, said Bloomberg News. While industrial operations account for most output, hundreds of thousands of artisanal miners work in the informal economy, often within permits held by major companies, it added.ERG’s other Congolese assets include the Frontier copper mine and Metalkol, one of the world’s largest cobalt sources. Congo’s state-owned Gecamines holds 49% of Boss Mining.Luxembourg-registered ERG is 40% owned by the government of Kazakhstan, where it produces iron ore, ferrochrome and aluminium.The post ERG unit urges Congo to halt illegal mining appeared first on Miningmx.Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com