Martin Kabwelulu
Encyclopedia
Martin Kabwelulu Labilo is a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
.
He is a member of the Parti Lumumbiste Unifié (PALU).
He was appointed Minister of Mines on 5 February 2007 in the government led by Antoine Gizenga
, and retained this post through the reshuffle of 25 November 2007.
Martin Kabwelulu Labilo was named Minister of Mines by President Joseph Kabila
in the government headed by Antoine Gizenga in February 2007 one of four members of Gizenga's Unified Lumumbist Party (PALU) to be named to the cabinet.
In February 2011 Kabwelulu was in talks with South African banks, seeking $150 million to revive the state-owned diamond miner, MIBA
, which had been closed since November 2008. MIBA is 20% owned by Mwana Africa.
Kabwelulu said that since the closure almost all diamond production had been from informal, artisanal workings.
In May 2011 Kabwelulu, who was also serving as acting Minister of Transport, announced a $600 million 5-year plan to rehabilitate 700 kilometres (435 mi) of railway track in the mining areas of the southeast DRC. The project was funded by the World Bank
and the DRC government. An agreement on minerals-for-infrastructure signed with China in 2009 would cover $200 million of the cost.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was asked in July 2010 to develop guidelines under the Dodd-Frank Act over dealing in minerals from the DRC. The purpose was to ensure that the money from mineral sales was not being used to fund armed groups.
In July 2011, a month before the rules were due to come into effect, Kabwelulu wrote to the SEC asking them to prevent the rules from becoming a "de-facto embargo". He urged the SEC to follow United Nations and OECD recommendations that "define due diligence as a continuous process, proactive and reactive, by which companies take reasonable measures in good faith to identify and respond to risks that contribute to conflict".
In May 2010 the DRC Supreme Court decided that the Canadian firm First Quantum Minerals
had illegally obtained the rights to its Frontier
and Lonshi
mines, previously owned by Sodimico
.
In August 2011 it was reported that Sodimico had sold its 30% share in the two mines for $30 million.
The estimated value of the mines was over $1.6 billion.
When contacted later that month, Kabwelulu at first denied that any sale had been carried out.
The Sodimico CEO Laurent Lambert Tshisola Kangoa refused to discuss the matter with reporters from Reuters
.
The next day it was reported that Kabwelulu had in fact ordered the sale of Sodimico's 30% stake in the Frontier and Lonshi mines to Fortune Ahead, a shell company registered in Hong Kong that already owned the other 70% of Sodifor, the holding company for the properties. Sodimico was transferring some of the proceeds to a fund to be used in the forthcoming elections.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
.
He is a member of the Parti Lumumbiste Unifié (PALU).
He was appointed Minister of Mines on 5 February 2007 in the government led by Antoine Gizenga
Antoine Gizenga
Antoine Gizenga is a Congolese politician who was Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from December 30, 2006 to 10 October 2008...
, and retained this post through the reshuffle of 25 November 2007.
Martin Kabwelulu Labilo was named Minister of Mines by President Joseph Kabila
Joseph Kabila
Joseph Kabila Kabange is a Congolese politician who has been President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since January 2001. He took office ten days after the assassination of his father, President Laurent-Désiré Kabila...
in the government headed by Antoine Gizenga in February 2007 one of four members of Gizenga's Unified Lumumbist Party (PALU) to be named to the cabinet.
In February 2011 Kabwelulu was in talks with South African banks, seeking $150 million to revive the state-owned diamond miner, MIBA
Societé minière de Bakwanga
Societé minière de Bakwanga is a mining company based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. MIBA is a diamond mining company, and its operations are centered near Mbuji Mayi, in Kasai-Oriental Province in south central DRC....
, which had been closed since November 2008. MIBA is 20% owned by Mwana Africa.
Kabwelulu said that since the closure almost all diamond production had been from informal, artisanal workings.
In May 2011 Kabwelulu, who was also serving as acting Minister of Transport, announced a $600 million 5-year plan to rehabilitate 700 kilometres (435 mi) of railway track in the mining areas of the southeast DRC. The project was funded by the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
and the DRC government. An agreement on minerals-for-infrastructure signed with China in 2009 would cover $200 million of the cost.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was asked in July 2010 to develop guidelines under the Dodd-Frank Act over dealing in minerals from the DRC. The purpose was to ensure that the money from mineral sales was not being used to fund armed groups.
In July 2011, a month before the rules were due to come into effect, Kabwelulu wrote to the SEC asking them to prevent the rules from becoming a "de-facto embargo". He urged the SEC to follow United Nations and OECD recommendations that "define due diligence as a continuous process, proactive and reactive, by which companies take reasonable measures in good faith to identify and respond to risks that contribute to conflict".
In May 2010 the DRC Supreme Court decided that the Canadian firm First Quantum Minerals
First Quantum Minerals
First Quantum Minerals Ltd. is a Vancouver, British Columbia based mining and metals company whose principal activities include mineral exploration, development and mining....
had illegally obtained the rights to its Frontier
Frontier Mine, Katanga
Frontier Mine is a copper mine in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo that was owned and operated by the Canadian Mining Company First Quantum Minerals...
and Lonshi
Lonshi Mine
Lonshi Mine is a copper mine in Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the southeast of Ndola, Zambia.-Operations:The mine produces high-grade oxide ore that was transported to Zambia for processing at the SX/EW facility in Bwana....
mines, previously owned by Sodimico
Sodimico
Sodimico is a state-owned mining company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo .-Early years:...
.
In August 2011 it was reported that Sodimico had sold its 30% share in the two mines for $30 million.
The estimated value of the mines was over $1.6 billion.
When contacted later that month, Kabwelulu at first denied that any sale had been carried out.
The Sodimico CEO Laurent Lambert Tshisola Kangoa refused to discuss the matter with reporters from Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
.
The next day it was reported that Kabwelulu had in fact ordered the sale of Sodimico's 30% stake in the Frontier and Lonshi mines to Fortune Ahead, a shell company registered in Hong Kong that already owned the other 70% of Sodifor, the holding company for the properties. Sodimico was transferring some of the proceeds to a fund to be used in the forthcoming elections.