The governor of the South Kivu province in eastern Congo on Friday ordered the suspension of all mining activities to “restore order” in the mineral-rich region, which is plagued by violence from armed groups.
Mining activities are suspended until further notice because of “the disorder caused by mining operators,” Gov. Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki said in a statement, without providing further details.
The statement said the aim of the decision was to “restore order to mining throughout the Province and to preserve not only human lives, but also the traceability of mineral production in these sites."
The local authorities gave 72 hours to “all mining companies, businesses and cooperatives to leave the sites and places of exploitation,” the statement added.
It was difficult to immediately assess whether the decision would be respected, as certain mining areas are under the control or influence of armed groups. It was also difficult to immediately assess the impact of this decision at the economic level. Thousands of residents of this gold- and coltan-rich province depend directly or indirectly on mining.
Many Chinese companies mine gold and other minerals in South Kivu, one of the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo that have been plagued by violence from armed groups for nearly three decades. In recent months, as the military battle the militias, the security situation has worsened.
Attacks on quarries and mining cooperatives are frequent in the region as more than 120 armed groups compete for land and resources in eastern Congo. Earlier this month, a militia attack on a gold mine in the Ituri province in northeastern Congo killed six Chinese miners and two Congolese soldiers.
In August 2021, the former governor of South Kivu decided to “restore order” in the territory of Mwenga, about a hundred kilometers from Bukavu, the capital of the province, and ordered the suspension of mining activities of six Chinese mining companies. He justified the decision as protecting “the interests of the local population and the environment”.
But following political pressure, the measure was subsequently lifted. A parliamentary commission of inquiry was launched, but its conclusions were never published.
At the time, the government said it was working to secure better terms on a $6.2 billion mining contract with China, which authorities say has not been profitable enough for the Central African nation since the deal was signed in 2008.
The opacity of the exploitation and sale of Congolese gold is regularly deplored. In its multiple reports, the UN group of experts said that “volumes of smuggled gold significantly higher than those legally marketed”.
Bienvenu Mapendo, president of the Federation of Congolese Enterprises in the province of South Kivu, told The Associated Press that this decision will have a negative impact on economic activities in the province.
“It is certain that the decision will have a negative impact in the province with all the communities that make a living from mining activities," he said over the phone. “We would like to have a meeting with the provincial authority to find out the motivations for this decision."
FILE - One of the few remaining miners digs out soil which will later be filtered for traces of cassiterite, the major ore of tin, at Nyabibwe mine, in eastern Congo, on Aug. 17, 2012. The governor of the South Kivu province in eastern Congo on Friday ordered the suspension of all mining activities in order to “restore order” in the mineral-rich region plagued by violence from armed groups. (AP Photo/Marc Hofer, File)
SAO PAULO (AP) — The host of the NFL's first game in Brazil, soccer club Corinthians, was not keen on the green-dominated color schemes of its Friday night visitors, the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles. But many fans at the NeoQuimica Arena didn't seem to mind.
And that included some supporters of Corinthians, a club that has tried for decades to avoid any reference to the color of its local rival Palmeiras.
Excitement was evident in Sao Paulo for the second game of the 2024 NFL season and the league's first visit to South America. Philadelphia and Green Bay both made the playoffs last season.
Once the game began, it became clear there were three groups in attendance: Eagles supporters, Packers fans and those who were happy to cheer for either team. Local authorities estimated that roughly 20% of the expected crowd of 42,000 was from the United States.
Game officials, though, didn't get any sympathy. Insults in Portuguese chanted every weekend for soccer referees rang out whenever a divisive decision was made.
Before the game, Packers fan and schoolteacher Cody Armstrong, 32, told The Associated Press he spent much of the money he made over the summer to travel from Oakland, California, with three friends, including two Eagles fans. They were all dressed in green as they waited for their orders at a fast-food restaurant next to the stadium.
“Is it true that they don't like green here?” Armstrong said. “Well ... they will have to bear with us.”
Also dressed in green, the friends watched Kansas City's season-opening victory over Baltimore on Thursday night at a Sao Paulo bar, and they were excited to see so many locals enthusiastic about American football. Marketing experts have estimated there are 38 million fans of the sport in soccer-mad Brazil.
Bruno Silva, 37, bought an unofficial black Eagles jersey, which was being sold for about 50 Brazilian reals ($10) in a subway station near the stadium. A Corinthians fan, he said he would support Philadelphia — designated as the home team in Brazil — because it declined to wear green.
“This is our home,” said Silva, who started following the NFL five years ago. “We support who supports us.”
William Camargo, 39, also a Corinthians fan, showed up wearing a green Packers jersey, which many supporters of the soccer club would consider to be heresy.
“We like to say that Corinthians is owned by its fans. Green Bay is the same thing,” Camargo said of the community-owned franchise.
He said he became a fan of the Packers because of their former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers — whose jersey was a popular choice among fans in the stadium Friday night.
Other fans wore jerseys of other NFL teams, including New England, San Francisco, Buffalo and Baltimore.
Some were dressed out for a night out. Wearing a long blue dress, Narrima Oliveira, 34, attended with her boyfriend and was most interested in the halftime performance of Brazilian pop star Anitta.
“This feels like a party. We are going out to dance after this, too. I am not a football fan, but I can feel the joy that you guys have by watching it. It is a big celebration,” she said.
The party would have been different if the Sao Paulo state government had not made a special authorization for in-stadium beer sales. Brazil rarely authorizes the sale of alcoholic beverages inside sporting venues to avoid violence among fans.
Russell Okung, who played for four teams over 11 NFL seasons, was among the attractions off the field Friday night. He joined other Brazilian practitioners of capoeira, an African-Brazilian martial art disguised as a dance, to perform in front of applauding fans at various spots outside the stadium.
“I love Brazil,” Okung told reporters before one of his several capoeira performances. “So glad the NFL made it here.”
Before kickoff, several Brazilian Olympic athletes saluted the crowd, including gymnast Rebeca Andrade and skateboarder Rayssa Leal, both Corinthians fans and medalists at the Paris Games.
Neither wore green.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Brazilian pop superstar Anitta headlines the halftime performance at the league's first-ever game in South America between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo.Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Brazilian pop superstar Anitta headlines the halftime performance at the league's first-ever game in South America between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo.Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Neo Quimica Arena in a general view, GV, from the upper level at the 50 yard line before an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Philadelphia Eagles watches during warm ups before an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
The Philadelphia Eagles arrive for an NFL football against the Green Bay Packers, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Fans pose before an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Fans pose for a picture before an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
