Congo' Potentials (Cause Root of Conflicts)

“The Congo is so rich in mineral wealth, you can’t just ignore it. You don’t want to be the last guy at this party”

-Gerhard Kemp
Rand Merchant Bank, Johannesburg
(Quoted from Global Witness Report: “Digging in Corruption” -Fraud, Abuse and Exploitation in Katanga’s copper and Cobalt mines. July

2006)

The DRC is a home to vast expanses of pristine rain forest, rare animal species and a treasure trove of rare precious minerals – it houses all elements found on the periodic table. Its abundant reserves of Copper, Cobalt, Coltan -an essential component of mobile phones, laptops and game counsels, Cassiterite (tin ore), Diamonds, Hydraulic Cement, Iron, Gas, Gold, Lead, Lithium, Manganese, Nickel, Oil, Silver, Timber, Tungsten, Uranium and zinc have the potential to serve as the engine of growth in its reconstruction and eradication of poverty in the Central African region and beyond.

The following are some mineral indices by province:

• Eastern Province (Orientale): Gold, diamond, clays, copper, iron, kaolin, niobium, ochre, phosphates, saline, bituminous schists and talc.
• North Kivu: Clays, tin stone, basnaesite, emerald, coal, granite, monazite, niobium, gold, wolfram, tantalum and calcareous.
• South Kivu: Gold, tin stone, amblygonite, silver, basnaesite, emerald, bismuth, diamond, diatomite, monazite, niobium, wolfram, zinc, tantalum and calcareous.
• Katanga: Copper, cobalt, uranium, niobium, gold, platinum, lithium, talc, tantalum, wolfram, zinc, clays, bismuth, cadmium, tin stone, coal, iron, granite, emerald, sapphire, diamond, silver and calcareous.
• Maniema: Gold, tin stone, amblygonite, lithium, clays, copper, diamond, iron, kaolin, manganese, niobium, lead, talc, tantalum and wolfram.
• Equator: Diamond, gold, iron, calcareous, kaolin, clays, copper, granite, niobium and ochre.
• Eastern Kasai: Diamond, clays, gold, chrome, nickel, cobalt, copper, iron, kaolin and talc.
• Western Kasai: Diamond, clays, gold, chrome, nickel, cobalt, platinum, copper, iron, kaolin, lead and saline.
• Bandundu: Diamond, kaolin, petroleum and clays.
• Kinshasa: Clays, silica and kaolin.
• Bas-Congo: Bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, vanadium, asphaltic sands, gold, diamond, manganese, marble, granite, rock salt, iron, clays, gypsum, pyrite, talc, silica, kaolin, baritone and calcareous.

Congo Waters:

• The Congo River, the second longest river in Africa after the Nile and the second largest flow in the world after Amazon, is another source of potential for Africa: it has one-sixth of the world's hydroelectric potential; and can power the whole continent!
• With more than 700 fish species, 500 of which are endemic, the Congo River (Basin) ranks second in the World in fish diversity, after the Amazon.o Lake Tanganika, the third largest fresh water lake in the world by volume and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Serbia,

Land & rainforest:

• The Congo has vast agricultural potential; if unleashed, this potential could significantly reduce poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, which affect more than 70% of the African population.
• Congo’s fertile fields and tropical forests cover an area bigger than United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium and Germany combinedo Congo’ fertile fields can feed the whole of central and part of southern Africa
• Congo’ rainforest is the second largest on Earth; only the Amazon is larger, remain almost intact and unexploited and houses a wealth of biodiversity found no where else on the planet; and plays a vital role in regulating climate, both locally and globally