Chinese polluter tagged in deal for Congo's copper

(GIN)—A deal to sell a majority stake in copper and cobalt mines in Congo to a Chinese mining company could be illegal, according to Congo’s state-run mining firm Gecamines.

The Chinese firm, Zijin, is already in hot water since a spill from their copper mine this month spread 2.4 million gallons of acidic waste into Guangdong province, China’s main export hub, poisoning enough fish to feed 72,000 residents for a year.

They also polluted the Ting river in Fujian province, on which 60,000 people depend for drinking water. Police detained three Zijin managers, and the securities regulator is probing the company over its disclosure of the July 12 incident.

Zijin Mining Group was nearing a deal to buy Platmin Congo, but without prior approval from President Joseph Kabila’s government, despite generally good Beijing-Kinshasa relations. The Mines Ministry is blocking the deal, pending negotiations on the future of the joint venture, and both sides have set a deadline of July 30 to resolve

This is part of the July 28, 2010 online edition of Frost Illustrated.

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