Gold trade: What are the conditions in Congolese mines?

The price of gold has recently been higher than ever. But little of it goes down well with those who work hard to extract the gold in mines. A Congolese company now wants to make trade more transparent.

It’s dark and hot. Men squeeze through narrow tunnels supported by simple wooden trunks. The gold miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo sometimes have to bend over and in some places crawl on all fours. You sweat. Only the small light from their headlamps breaks through the darkness.

The miners work with the simplest tools. They knock the gold-bearing rock out of the rock face with a hammer and chisel or scrape it out of the earth. They then carry the gold ore out of the mine in heavy sacks on their shoulders. It’s a tough job.

“We sacrifice ourselves for the work”

In the middle of Africa, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is what everyone wants: gold. Here the precious metal is very pure and therefore very valuable.

Justin is one of the miners in the small town of Luhihi. He wears a brown wool hat and dusty clothes. He seems desperate and angry at the same time. He says he wants to send a message to the country’s authorities that they should think about them. “We are the children of this country and we suffer. We sacrifice ourselves for work, but we can’t find anyone to help us.”

Doing business, above all rebel groups

The gold mines in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo provide great wealth. But the miners usually only receive a pittance. Militant rebel groups do the big business.

They control the gold mines and patrol the area in camouflage uniforms armed with submachine guns and cartridge belts. More than 120 armed groups are said to be active in eastern Congo, securing a share of the rich gold deposits and thereby financing themselves.

Gold also finds its way into Germany illegally

Observers assume that most of the gold is smuggled into neighboring countries and from there sold abroad. In this way, gold finds its way into Europe, including Germany, illegally. As a result, the Congolese state is losing millions in tax revenue.

On the other hand, there are also representatives of state authorities who work together with the rebels and earn money from it. The origin of the gold is often difficult to trace because certificates are forged. This means that tracing is often not possible.

Company wants to make gold trading more transparent

There has been a joint venture called “Primera Gold” for over a year. The Congolese government and the United Arab Emirates are involved.

Benjamin Bisimwa works for the management of “Primera Gold”. He says it’s primarily about making gold trading more transparent. “The company’s goal is to contribute to the fight against fraud and smuggling.” So far, the neighboring countries Rwanda and Uganda have particularly benefited from this.

According to its own information, “Primera Gold” is also trying to improve the situation of the miners, for example with health insurance. But not much has happened yet, critics say.

It is also questionable whether the 45 percent that the Democratic Republic of Congo holds in the company will actually reach people in the long term – for schools, roads, hospitals. And also among the workers in the gold mines.