Congo Is Not For Sale (CNPAV) announces the publication of its note “Return to
Congo what belongs to Congo” on the agreement concluded in 2022 between the
Congolese government and Israeli businessman Dan Gertler.
Kinshasa, 31 October 2024. Written by the anti-corruption civil society coalition CNPAV, the
note summarizes Dan Gertler’s background in the mining sector in the Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC), from the 1990s until the signing of the agreement between his company
Ventora and the Congolese government in 2022, which commits the DRC to pay Mr. Gertler
more than €180 million and allows him to keep lucrative assets. A fairer deal for Congo
would take into account all the sweetheart deals, bribery, procedural violations, and
near-total lack of accountability that characterized Mr. Gertler’s presence in the DRC.
In light of the facts presented in the note, the CNPAV coalition calls on:
- The Congolese government to renegotiate the 2022 agreement with Mr. Gertler to
make its terms fairer for the country. In particular, a new agreement should include,
among other things, a restitution without financial compensation of all assets held by
Mr. Gertler in the DRC, including royalties in three mining projects (Kamoto Copper
Company, Mutanda Mining and Metalkol RTR).
- The US administration not to grant Mr. Gertler a licence on the sanctions imposed
in 2017, without strict conditions. These conditions should include: an audit to
determine whether Mr. Gertler’s assets were obtained legally, a free restitution of the
assets to the DRC, and a restoration of civic space.
For years, CNPAV has denounced the irregularities and the losses suffered by the DRC
because of Mr. Gertler’s business in the country. The signing of the 2022 agreement and the
ongoing negotiations in the United States for a lifting of sanctions pose many concerns for
the coalition, and risk undermining the fight against corruption at the national and
international levels.
With this note, the CNPAV invites the Congolese and American authorities to join the fight to
return to Congo what belongs to Congo.
Contacts:
Jean-Claude Mputu (porte-parole): +32 498 38 11 39
Dirk Shaka (coordinateur): +243 998 855 781
Email: corruptiontuerdc@gmail.com
