Africa - Sunday, March 23, 2008 8:18 - 0 Comments

Congo to reveal mining deals

The Democratic Republic of Congo is to announce new mining deals a year after at least 60 contracts were suspended.The government said it wanted to ensure that the country’s vast mineral wealth was used to benefit its people.

Many Congolese suspect that mining deals are often corrupt and campaign group Global Witness says the review was hit by a lack of transparency.

DR Congo has huge reserves of gold, diamonds, copper and more than a third of coltan, used in mobile phones.

Correspondents say these riches have been a key factor in the civil wars, instability and bad government the country has known since independence. Continue…