The Congolese civil society urge the EITI Board to suspend Congo under the safeguarding 1.3 requirement.

To : The President of the EITI International BOARD,
       OSLO

Dear Mr. President,

The congolese civil society is deeply shocked by the lack of transparency of the january letter of the stakeholder group of EITI Congo.

Most of us support your suspension request due to the safeguarding requirement 1.3. We believe that the suspension of Congo will send a clear message to all the extractive companies operating in Congo and to the local Ngo subject to proven self-censorship and conflict of interest with the government and companies.

In spite of the revelation of many scandals such as “Atlantic road”, “Maggaloy”, “Sundance”, “Gunvor”, “Kensington”, “Chironi” and so one, the Congo has not taken any measure nor started any trial for known criminals such as Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso, Sassou Nguesso’s son.

The IMF negotiation process is blocked due to the lack of cooperation from the congolese authorities. The Congolese main negotiator Mr Lucien Ebata is a well known launderer of the oil money.   

Before begging for new transparency tool with the same faulty stakeholder of EITI Congo, we urge the EITI international Board to run an audit of the current framework and how it has been hijacked for the illicit enrichment and trade of “reliability” stamp for the extractive industry.

The EITI process is used by the congolese government and its “civil society” as a guarantee of reliability for investors and markets. They do not intend to really apply the process and its civil society uses the EITI process as an income with no real power of control.

Dear Mr. President,

How could we trust a letter written by people admitting themselves that they are subjected to self-censorship ? How could we have a free civil society in a country where hanging a poster can take you in jail like it does for Franck Nzila and the Ras-le-Bol supporters ?

We strongly recommend that the safeguard clause should be applied based on the issue of self-censorship, conflict of interest, and lack of transparency with the public whom they are committed to defend the interest.

We urge you to suspend Congo under the Safeguarding 1.3 requirement.

Best Regards,

On behalf of the Free Congolese Civil Society,

Aimé ONGONGA, Alexandre SHANGA, Andréa NGOMBET (COLLECTIF SASSOUFIT), Anicet MAPA,  Anthyme BAYIMINA (MCC-CONGO), Benoit KOUKEBENE (TELEMA), Blaise TCHITEMBO (ORICE / COLLECTIF SASSOUFIT), Blanche BOUANGA, Blanche BOUITI, Brice MAFOUANA, Cédric BATCHI (COLLECTIF SASSOUFIT), Cédric NGANGOUE, Dominique EBIOU (ADDPC), Eric PANTOU, Erick MABIALA (COLLECTIF SASSOUFIT), Ernest MOKONGO (PCT), Eugène F. LOUBELO (CONGO YA SIKA), Fabrice Euloge BIKINDOU, Gaylord POUABOU (COLLECTIF SASSOUFIT), Georges GOMA GAKISSA (LA CONVENTION), Georges N’TABA,  GUY ATSAKA (CJ3M), GUY MAFIMBA (FROCAD-IDC-CJ3M), Guy MBAYA, Herman YOKA (LE MUR),  Herold Gambia (COLLECTIF SASSOUFIT), Issac DJOUMALI SENGHA (PCT), James MACOUMBOUS (COLLECTIF SASSOUFIT), Jean didier EKORI, Jean Didier MILEBE (CADD), Jean-François TCHIBINDA KOUANGOU, Jean-Pierre MOUMELE (CADD), Jérôme ITOUA-OKONGO (ACB-J3M / CONGO YA SIKA), Jonas NGONDZI (CJ3M), Joseph OUABARI MARIOTTI (FROCAD-IDC-CJ3M), Jules IWANGOU (LE MUR), Landry OBELA (DYNAMIQUE AOS), Louis-Marie AWE, Louise ONGOSSI, Ludovic MBANI (CURE), Mado NOUAHO (COLLECTIF SASSOUFIT), Marcus KISSA (ORICE / COLLECTIF SASSOUFIT), Mayite TCHIBINDA-KOUANGOU, Michel PANDI, Monique NGONGO (LE MUR), Paolo MOUSSALA (PCT), Patrick ALOUNA,  Philippe GANDOU, Raoul Didier MABOUNDOU (LA CONVENTION), René KOUEMBELE, Socrate P. BOUZINGOU (Cna-CONSEIL NORD AMERICAIN), Sohn MAFOUMBI, Sosthène KONGODIA SAMBA (LE CARTON ROUGE), Théo MOUSSIESI, Théophile MBEMBA (RDD), Wilfran MALONGA (COLLECTIF SASSOUFIT)