On December 26, 2024, the situation in the Haut-Uele province reached a critical threshold. The Kibali Gold Mine, in collusion with the local governor Jean Bakomito, orchestrated a full-scale economic assault against the populations of the Ouatcha, Kibali, MandraMandra, Mege, and Bandaï territories. This operation of forced displacement, carried out under the guise of “development,” has led to flagrant human rights violations, condemned by numerous human rights defenders, including Olivier Bahemuke Ndoole, Executive Secretary of the NGO Alerte Congolaise pour l’Environnement et les Droits Humains.
On December 26, 2024, more than 25 households were violently evacuated from their homes under the threat of military force sent by Governor Bakomito to support Kibali’s operations. The soldiers not only destroyed the homes and crops of local farmers but also seized valuable belongings, forcing the residents to flee into nearby forests to escape this brutal repression.
The complicity of Governor Jean Bakomito in this affair is evident. Not only would he have authorized this systematic violence, according to local sources, but he also actively encouraged the actions of the mining company, issuing direct orders to the military to suppress the local populations. The governor’s direct support for Kibali Gold Mine, aimed at facilitating the extraction of gold resources, highlights the impunity enjoyed by this company at the expense of the rights and well-being of the Congolese people.
In the face of this dramatic situation, Olivier Bahemuke decided to break the silence. In a public statement, he denounced these abuses and called out the Congolese authorities as well as the international community. He described these practices as “horrendous crimes and a disgrace” within the context of the global energy transition and expressed his outrage at the complicity of Congolese authorities with foreign multinational corporations.
“What is happening today in the mining territories of the DRC, whether in legal or illegal operations, constitutes serious crimes,” he said. “It is inconceivable that a company like Kibali Gold, supported by authorities supposed to protect local communities, can engage in such abuses. The Congolese must understand that the real protection of our natural resources and environment starts with us.”
Bahemuke also criticized the absurdity of justifying these abuses in the name of the energy transition. According to him, the DRC should not be the price to pay for the extraction of minerals necessary for the global energy transition. He stated that the energy transition, instead of benefiting only multinational corporations, should be designed in harmony with the rights of the Congolese people, the respect for their land, and their economic development.
Bahemuke emphasized that, contrary to official narratives touting the benefits of exploiting strategic minerals, the Congolese people should not have to sacrifice their lives, land, and resources to allow other nations to develop. He warned of the catastrophic consequences of the energy transition if it is based on unfair practices and human rights violations.
“The global energy transition must not be built on the backs of the Congolese,” he insisted. “If this transition is to be designed on the suffering of the Congolese, on the exploitation of their land and the complicity of the authorities, then serious questions must be asked.” In this context, he called on the Congolese authorities to assume their role in protecting their citizens. Bahemuke denounced the complicity of local authorities and urged them to protect local populations rather than favor the interests of multinational corporations at the expense of human rights and the environment.
The NGO Alerte Congolaise and Olivier Bahemuke are calling for a general mobilization to denounce this injustice and support the local communities of Haut-Uele. They demand an independent and transparent investigation into the actions of Kibali Gold Mine, Governor Bakomito, and the authorities involved in these abuses. “Justice must be served, and not wait for the victims to file complaints,” emphasized Bahemuke, also calling on the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi, to intervene. He stressed that the DRC belongs first and foremost to its people, not to foreign multinational corporations or corrupt authorities.
This defender warns of a situation that painfully echoes the colonial practices of the past. “What is happening today, with the complicity of certain Congolese authorities, recalls the suffering inflicted on our ancestors under the colonial regime, where the exploitation of natural resources came at the cost of the lives of the Congolese people,” he said, before concluding: “It is time for this to stop. It is possible to stop this unjust exploitation machine, and we must all stand up to put an end to it.”
In the current context, where the DRC has become a major battleground in the race for natural resources, especially for the global energy transition, Olivier Bahemuke and human rights defenders are calling for collective awareness. It is crucial that the Congolese authorities, civil society, and the international community unite to protect the rights of the Congolese people, end the impunity of multinational corporations, and ensure a just and sustainable future for future generations.
By Kilalopress
