Congo’s Minister of State for Justice Seals has ordered prosecutions against individuals involved in mining fraud in Lualaba province, according to an official announcementissued on October 28.
Minister of State for Justice Guillaume Ngefa Atondoko Andali instructed the Auditor General of the Armed Forces (FARDC) and the Prosecutor General at the Court of Cassation to initiate legal proceedings against all those implicated in the fraud.
The decision follows a report by the National Commission for the Fight Against Mining Fraud (CNLFM), which revealed “serious governance irregularities in Lualaba province’s mining sector”, constituting violations of the Mining Code and its implementing regulations.
The report indicates that several mining sites were illegally occupied and that large-scale fraud and smuggling networks were organized there.
Investigations identified civilians, including foreign nationals, as well as military personnel — among them members of the 22nd Military Region, the Republican Guard, and police officers — involved in these practices, engaging their criminal and civil liability.
The prosecutions will target “all individuals and legal entities involved, without distinction of rank, function, or nationality”, the announcementstates.
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