Amanyanga ateye inkeke mu bigo by’Abanyamerika bishaka amabuye y’agaciro ya Congo

Sangiza iyi nkuru

Ikigo cyo muri Amerika kiri mu izingiro ry’umuhate w’ubuyobozi bwa Trump bwo kugera ku mabuye y’agaciro y’ingenzi aturuka muri Congo cyagaragaje uburambe bw’umurengera (cyabeshye uburambe kidafite) mu bucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro nk’uko byagaragaye mu bushakashatsi bwa Reuters.

Muri Werurwe, Ikigo Virtus cyaguze ibirombe bya Chemaf muri miliyoni 30 z’amadolari ku banyamigabane bato muri iki kigo, cyatangaje ku rubuga rwacyo ko gifite amateka muri Congo kubera uruganda rwacyo rutunganya umuringa na cobalt.

Nyamara, ‌Abanyamakuru ba Reuters basanze Virtus itaraguze urwo ruganda kandi ko uruganda ntacyo rukora kuva mu 2012, nk’uko bigaragara mu nyandiko z’isosiyete, inyandiko z’urukiko zijyanye n’amakimbirane ku kugurisha uru ruganda n’amasoko atanu afite ubumenyi butaziguye kuri iki kibazo.

Amasezerano ya Chemaf yerekana ishoramari rya mbere ryaturutse mu masezerano hagati ya Amerika na Repubulika ya Demokarasi ya Congo y’ubufatanye mu bucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro yashyizweho umukono umwaka ushize.

Washington yemeye gufasha Congo gukurura abashoramari b’Abanyamerika mu bucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro y’ingenzi, mu rwego rwo kugabanya igihe kinini u Bushinwa bumaze mu bucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro muri Congo.

Umwe mu bayobozi bakuru ba Congo uzi neza iyi dosiye yavuze ko uburambe mu by’umutekano bw’abayobozi bakuru ba Virtus bwagize uruhare mu cyemezo cya Kinshasa, kubera ko Washington yari irimo guhuza abaturanyi Congo n’u Rwanda.

Virtus yanze gutanga ibisobanuro ku nyandiko ivuga ku bunararibonye bwayo mu bucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro muri iyi nkuru.

Minisiteri ishinzwe ubucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro ya DRC hamwe n’ikigo cya Leta gishinzwe Ubucukuzi bw’Amabuye y’Agaciro, Gécamines, ifite ubukode ku birombe bya Chemaf, ntabwo yashubije ku bibazo byerekeranye na Virtus ⁠muri Congo ndetse n’uburyo ikigo cyagaragaje ibyangombwa byacyo.

Minisiteri y’ububanyi n’amahanga ya Amerika yavuze ko “ishyigikiye byimazeyo” imihate ya Virtus Minerals yo gushaka no guteza imbere umutungo.

Umuvugizi yagize ati: “Uku kugura kuzaba nk’ishoramari rya mbere rya Amerika muri DRC, kugira ngo yerekane ko inyungu z’abikorera bo muri Amerika ari iz’ukuri kandi ko zizatera ishoramari kurushaho.”

Umuvugizi ntabwo yasubije ibibazo byerekeranye no kumenya niba uburambe mu by’umutekano bw’abayobozi ba Virtus bwaragize uruhare mu cyemezo cya Congo ndetse no ku kumenya niba ayo masezerano azana na garanti y’umutekano ya Amerika.

Impuguke imwe yavuze ko amateka ya Virtus mu bucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro atera kwibaza ku mucyo w’ubufatanye bwa Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika na Repubulika ya Demokarasi ya Congo ndetse niba byaratekerejweho uko bikwiye.

Umuyobozi Mukuru w’Umuryango Sentinel of Natural Resources, umuryango utegamiye kuri Leta uteza imbere imiyoborere myiza no gukorera mu mucyo mu bucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro, Jean-Pierre Okenda yagize ati: “Ni ngombwa ko Guverinoma ya DRC yizera neza ko Virtus ifite ubushobozi bwa tekiniki, imari ndetse n’imikorere.”

Congo itanga ibice birenga 70% bya cobalt ikoreshwa ku Isi, ubutare bw’ingenzi bukoreshwa muri batiri z’imodoka zikoresha amashanyarazi, kandi ifite ububiko bwinshi bw’umuringa (copper) na lithium.

Ku rubuga rwa Virtus Minerals muri Mata 2025, ‘biography’ y’umuyobozi mukuru Phil Braun igaragaza ko “yashinze kandi akoresha isosiyete imwe rukumbi y’Abanyamerika y’ubucukuzi bw’umuringa na cobalt no kubitunganyiriza muri DRC ibinyujije mu ishami rya ROK Metals.”

Icyakora, Reuters yasanze ROK Metals itarigeze igura uruganda rutunganya umuringa na cobalt yamaze igihe kirekire ishaka kugura muri Likasi, mu majyepfo y’uburasirazuba bw’Intara ya Haut-Katanga.

Virtus iyobowe na Braun, wabaye mu ngabo zidasanzwe za Amerika, na Andrew Powch wahoze ari umusirikare mu Ngabo za Amerika zirwanira mu mazi. Braun ntabwo yasubije icyifuzo cyo kugira icyo abivugaho, kandi Powch ⁠yanze gutanga ibisobanuro kuri aya makuru.

Abashinze Virtus mbere bakoreye muri Congo binyuze mu kigo cyitwa Virtus Capital and Operations (VCO).
Kugeza hagati muri Werurwe, urubuga rwa VCO rwerekanye urugero rumwe gusa rw’ibikorwa byarwo: Uruganda rwa ROK Metals rw’Abanyekongo. Ibivugwa kuri ROK Metals byavanywe ku rubuga rwayo hagati muri Werurwe, hashize iminsi Reuters ivuganye na Virtus ko ishaka ibisobanuro kuri sosiyete.

ROK Metals yagerageje kugura uruganda rutunganya umuringa na cobalt rwa Likasi rutagikora kuva mu 2012 nyuma y’uko nyirarwo ahuye n’umwenda munini.

Muri Gicurasi 2024, icyemezo cy’urukiko cyatanzwe n’urukiko rwa Likasi, urukiko mbonezamubano rwagenzuye igurishwa ry’uruganda, kigaragaza ko icyo kigo kitari cyagurishwa, kubera ko inshuro nyinshi byageragejwe byasubikwaga cyangwa bigaseswa nyuma y’uko abapiganwa bananiwe kwishyura amafaranga yose yasabwaga.

Umwe mu bayobozi bakuru mu bucamanza yatangarije Reuters ko uruganda rukomeje kuba mu maboko ya nyirarwo nyirizina, CAM Resources, kugeza na nubu ⁠kandi ntirwigeze rusubukura imirimo.

Reuters yavuganye n’umunyamategeko wari uhagarariye CAM Resources, wavuze ko atakivugana n’uru ruganda kandi yizeye ko abayobozi barwo bavuye mu gihugu.

Nubwo ikibazo cy’uruganda rwa Likasi kitarakemuka kandi ikigo kikaba kidakora, Virtus na ROK Metals byakomeje kwerekana ko aha hantu hakora.

Urubuga rwa ROK Metals ruracyasobanura iyi sosiyete nk’ikomeje “gutunganya umuringa na cobalt i Likasi, kandi yari igiye gutanga umusaruro wo mu rwego rwo hejuru w’umuringa mu gice cya nyuma cya 2023.”

Muri Kamena 2024, ikigo USAID cya Amerika cyatangaje ko cyahaye ROK Metals inkunga ingana na miliyoni 2 z’amadolari yo kongera umusaruro. Itangazo ryashyizwe ahagaragara na USAID ryasobanuye ko ROK Metals ari “uruganda rutunganya umuringa na cobalt muri Congo muri Likasi rufite ishoramari ry’abikorera bo muri Amerika.”

Inyandiko yasuzumwe na Reuters yerekana ko inkunga yahagaritswe muri Kanama 2024. Mu gihe iyi nyandiko itagaragaje impamvu yatumye ihagarikwa, ivuga ko kuyisubukura bizasaba ROK Metals gutanga gihamya ko yaguze uruganda rwa Likasi.

Amakuru aturuka mu bazi neza iki kibazo avuga ko inkunga yahagaritswe nyuma y’uko USAID imenye ko ROK Metals itigeze igira urwo ruganda, bitandukanye n’ibyo abayobozi ba yo bari batangaje.

Amezi atanu nyuma yo guhagarikwa, Braun yari agikomeje guha amakuru mashya abayobozi ba USAID ku bikorwa byo kurangiza kugura uruganda, nk’uko amabaruwa abigaragaza.

Amakuru avuga ko nta nkunga ya USAID yigeze itangwa, kubera ko ROK Metals yari itarabasha kugura uruganda igihe igihe ikigo USAID cyasenywaga muri Nyakanga 2025.