CEDEAO: La CEDEAO se dit inquiète de la situation qui prévaut en Guinée (21.10.2019)

Le Président de la Commission de la CEDEAO exprime son inquiétude devant les récents développements en République de Guinée, caractérisés par une montée des tensions politiques et des violences ayant entrainé des pertes en vies humaines lors des manifestations des 14 et 15 octobre 2019.

Le Président de la Commission de la CEDEAO appelle toutes les parties concernées à la retenue et encourage la prise de mesures pour éviter une escalade des tensions et de la violence à même d’affecter la paix et la stabilité de la République de Guinée et de la Sous-Région.

Le Président de la Commission de la CEDEAO réaffirme la nécessité d’un dialogue constructif entre le Gouvernement, l’opposition et la société civile en vue d’arriver à une solution durable, consensuelle et pacifique de la situation actuelle.

Le Président de la Commission de la CEDEAO exprime sa solidarité avec la République de Guinée, pays membre de la CEDEAO, et réitère son engagement à accompagner le Gouvernement et les Partis d’Opposition ainsi que les autres acteurs nationaux dans le cadre d’un dialogue pour la recherche de solutions en vue de préserver la paix et la stabilité et renforcer la démocratie en République de Guinée. Dans ce contexte, il s’engage à œuvrer en coordination avec l’Union Africaine et les autres partenaires.

Fait à Abuja le 21 octobre 2019

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Guinea: AfricTivistes s’inquiete de la situation de Guinee et appelle au respect aux principes de democratie (18.10.2019)

Guinea: FNDC – Communique No. 14 (19.10.2019)

Guniea: CONASOC – Declaration No. 001 (17.10.2019)

Guinea: L’arrestation d’acteurs de la societe civile engages contre le projet de nouvelle Constitution, nouveau tournant authoritaire en Guinee (15.10.2019)

Guinea: FNDC – A l’attention des organisations de la societe civile guineenes (15.10.2019)

Association des Blogueurs des Guinee (ABLOGUI): Communique de Presse (12.10.2019)

Guinea: Communique de l’Etat-Major General des Armees (11.10.2019)

DRC: A Report published today says Getler’s Mineral Royalties daily is the double of Messi’s salary!

Again, the investor and mineral licensing powerhouse in the Democratic Republic Congo, Dan Gertler is even more under fire after the revelations of his illicit trade during the recent years. Now, the formula and the amount of cash he gets from the foreign mineral extraction companies are paying for their passage to him. This as the deals between Getler and Kinshasa authorities are left in the dark. Whatever deal they have, certainly Getler is earning fortunes without doing more, than being connected to the Joseph Kabila government.

This report shows important facts and also bring certainties of the assumed fortunes made by Gertler, even as he is sanctioned and his corporations. Clearly, the mineral extraction is profitable in the midst of insecurity and civilian despair in the republic. While the businesses and the affiliates are eating, the public are fleeing militias and the army itself. The state is not serving the public, but the companies and the persons who has secret deals with the government. It is vicious and the international community let them, even as it is sanctioned, the acts are still appearing and has the ability to earn on it.

“Based on a number of assumptions, Resource Matters estimates the royalties to the Gertler-affiliated companies can be expected to amount to about $110 million for 2018 and nearly $100 million for 2019. This means that Gertler risks losing about $270,000 in revenue from Glencore’s operations per day. That is nearly twice as much as the world’s best paid soccer player, Lionel Messi, makes at Barcelona” (Resource Matters, P: 6, 2018).

“Glencore therefore has to balance the risk of increased pressure in Congo versus the risk of ending up on the U.S. sanctions list. This means that the royalty payments constitute a significant risk, whether they stop or continue. Investors should be able to know how Glencore will deal with this going forward. U.K anti-corruption organization Global Witness has repeatedly lamented the opacity of Glencore’s royalty payments to Gertler’s companies and called for better disclosure” (Resource Matters, P: 8, 2018).

“This conclusion was somewhat hasty. Gertler’s gold companies do not explicitly feature on the sanctions list, but that in itself does not matter. Under the U.S. Treasury’s so-called 50%-rule, any company owned at least 50% by a sanctioned entity is considered, per se, sanctioned because it is deemed to be “blocked property” of the sanctioned person. Both Moku Goldmines and Société Minière de Moku-Beverendi are at least 50% owned by Fleurette, a sanctioned entity, and should be considered sanctioned, too. In addition, the fact that no payments are made to Gertler does not shield Randgold from the risk of being sanctioned. The U.S. Treasury could qualify Randgold’s exploration activities at Moku-Beverendi as ‘material support’ to a sanctioned entity and impose sanctions on Randgold” (Resource Matters, P: 9, 2018).

Gertler might be in hot-water and the Kabila government might have decisions to make concerning their alliance. Still, the trades and contracts has been made, if the Kabila government suspend and revoke it, they might have to pay a settlement. While wait for a new company or middle-man to secure a grand deal for the licensing. We can question if the loyalty will be there, as long as the sanctions might hit the companies who works with Gertler. Because, they do not want to lose the profitable and secure delivery of the cobalt and other minerals in the Republic.

Surely, Getler don’t want to miss his winning ways and his double earnings of Messi. He want it and doesn’t care about how. Getler just continue to score and get contracts, which makes his giant fortune. It is by the blessing of his connections in Kinshasa. Peace.

Reference:

Resource Matters – ‘The Global Magnitsky – Effect How will U.S. sanctions against Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler affect the DR Congo’s extractive sector?” (February 2018).

ECOWAS: Portant Adoption des Sanctions Personelles visant a Favoriser la Restauration de la Gouvernance Democratique et le Respect de l’Etat de droit en Republique de Guinee Bissau (04.02.2018)