Dans une correspondance datée du 17 novembre 2022, un collectif des Organisations et plateforme de la Société civile œuvrant dans le secteur des ressources naturelles…
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Rehabilitation of the Mpiana-Mwanga power plants: civil society urges the Government to respect the agreement signed with " AVZ POWER SASU "
November 17, 2022 Faustin KUEDIASALA
In correspondence dated November 17, 2022, a collective of Civil Society Organizations and Platforms working in the natural resources sector challenges the National Minister of Energy on the respect of commitments relating to the rehabilitation of the Mpiana-Mwanga power plants in the territory of Manono (province of Tanganyika). In this correspondence, the collective recalls that “on January 29, 2021, His Excellency the Minister of Water Resources and Electricity signed Ministerial Order No.129/CAB/MIN/RHE/EMM/2021 of 29 creating a Technical Committee for monitoring the rehabilitation project of the Mpiana-Mwanga I and II hydroelectric power stations on which sits a representative or delegate of Cominière SA”.
In view of these commitments concluded, the collective is surprised that "during a meeting, organized with the communities of Manono, on Saturday November 12, 2022, on Dathcom Mining SA, the delegate of Cominière SA (Mr. MUYELA Robert) publicly declared that they have "selected the Chinese group Zijin for the rehabilitation of the hydroelectric power stations of Mpiana-Mwanga within three years and without condition". How did this new agreement come about? On what basis was it concluded? So many questions for which the collective expects clear answers from the current Minister of Energy.
according to your Ministerial Decree mentioned above, as well as the Ministry of the Portfolio which is the supervisory authority and all the government and the Democratic Republic of Congo in compliance with the laws of the country”. And to conclude: "Excellence, your diligent attention to ensuring compliance with the said Memorandum of Understanding will be the legal protection of the healthy business climate in our country and respect for the vision of the Head of State, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo for the electrification of the deep Congo and the development of our 145 territories from the base".
The Mpiana-Mwanga dam was built in 1933. Its operation was stopped in 1982. The rehabilitation works envisaged by AVZ Minerals, following the agreement concluded in January 2020, should allow, initially, the relaunch of two turbines with a combined capacity of 18 MW. Eventually, the power of the plant should be extended to reach 54 MW. It is this agreement, which fully commits the Government, that Kinshasa has just called into question, for reasons unknown to the general public, by turning to the Chinese group Zijin.
All of the correspondence of the Collective of Organizations and Platform of Civil Society in the DRC.