KINSHASA (Reuters) -The Democratic Republic of Congo has suspended activities at a Chinese-operated mining site in the south of the resource-rich country after a spill, mines minister Louis Watum Kabamba said late on Thursday.
Congo Dongfang International Mining (CDM), which mainly sources copper and cobalt from the Central African country, is a unit of China’s Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt.
Watum said on X that he came to Congo’s second-largest city Lubumbashi after hearing about a spill from the site that had affected several neighborhoods.
He said that the company does not meet environmental standards, causing water pollution and exposing the population to serious health risks.
The three-month suspension can be extended if necessary, he added.
“CDM must fully repair the environmental damage, ensure the remuneration of its staff, compensate the affected populations, and strictly comply with the requirements of the Mining Code,” Watum said, adding that an investigation would be conducted into the incident.
Congo, which accounts for over 70% of global cobalt output, froze exports of the metal in February to curb supply and drive up prices.
Authorities lifted the ban from October 16 to resume exports under a quota system. However, cobalt producers are still waiting for government approval to restart shipments, industry sources told Reuters last month.
(Reporting by Congo Newsroom; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Kim Coghill)
