Posts Tagged: resource curse

Advocacy for Mining Wealth to Benefit All

Joining Hand Congo works for community development in mining zones By Jean Marie Kabanga | POM, Joining Hands Democratic Republic of Congo Despite its vast mining potential and all the wealth mining brings to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it ranks among the poorest countries in the world, with a human development indicator of… Read more »

Twenty Years of Work for Transparency in Mining, Oil and Gas

RELUFA advocates for improved policies on transparency in revenues from the exploitation of natural resources By Jaff Bamenjo | RELUFA The Joining Hands Initiative (JH) was launched 20 years ago by the Presbyterian Church USA through its Presbyterian Hunger Program, marking a new approach to its hunger ministry. The approach is anchored on the understanding… Read more »

Communities Finally Receive a Share of Mining Revenues

New mining regulations in the Democratic Republic of Congo favor the development of local communities By Jean Marie Kabanga | POM, Joining Hands Network in the Democratic Republic of Congo In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it has been common for local communities to bear the brunt of the negative impacts of the mining… Read more »

The Hunt for Gold and Diamonds Leads to Deeper Poverty in East Cameroon

Families abandon farms and schools for small-scale mining only to be trapped in a cycle of poverty By Jaff Bamenjo | RELUFA, Joining Hands Cameroon Artisanal mining, or small-scale mining using limited machinery, is the only direct means through which local communities can benefit economically from the mineral endowments of their country. In the east… Read more »

Serious Blow to Anti-Corruption Efforts in Africa

By Jaff Bamenjo | RELUFA, Joining Hands Network Cameroon In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was passed by the U.S. Congress. The bill included an anti-corruption rule that required the disclosure of payments to governments by oil, gas and mining companies. The anti-corruption rule, “Section 1504,” was celebrated by civil… Read more »

Relocated Congolese Communities Hold Mining Company Accountable

By Ibond Rupas A’nzam | Coordinator of POM, Joining Hands Congo The mining sector is so far the main driver of economic growth in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The mining code and mining regulations issued in 2002 and 2003 respectively attracted a large number of private investors, particularly in the Copperbelt region of Katanga… Read more »

RELUFA’s Policy Brief on Diamonds in Cameroon

RELUFA, the Joining Hands network in Cameroon,  has just released a policy brief on the implementation of the Kimberley Process in Cameroon. The Kimberley Process is a process that is meant to keep “conflict diamonds” (diamonds procured through the financing of violence and war) out of the market. RELUFA’s policy brief “The Kimberley Process: Responding to challenges and Policy… Read more »

Cobalt and Copper Mine Displaces Kishieba Community in Congo

Abandoned house in Kifumpa, DRC - Jaff Napoleon photo By Jaff Napoleon Bamenjo | Coordinator Joining Hands Cameroon, RELUFA In 2004, residents of Kishieba village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were displaced from their ancestral land to make way for the Frontier Mine, a cobalt and copper mining project currently owned and operated by Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC). The residents of… Read more »