Responsible sourcing efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to date have focused\u00a0predominantly on the so-called 3TG (tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold) sector. Nevertheless, the artisanal\u00a0exploitation of other minerals including semi-precious gemstones, such as tourmaline, can also make\u00a0notable contributions to local livelihoods.<\/p>\n
At the 9th OECD Forum in May 2015, rising tourmaline exploitation and trade in eastern DRC saw\u00a0Congolese stakeholders, including SaveActMine (SAM), highlight the relevance of the DRC\u2019s coloured\u00a0gemstone sector to responsible sourcing within the context of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for\u00a0Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.\u00a0Following up on these observations, IPIS and SAM undertook a joint research mission in September 2015\u00a0to look into tourmaline exploitation and trade in the Kivus. This research confirmed that eastern DRC\u2019s\u00a0tourmaline sector appears to be experiencing notable growth. Since 2012, a rise in gemstone prices has\u00a0reportedly seen the sector attracting thousands of artisanal miners during boom periods in the Kivus\u00a0alone. Tourmaline sites visited in the context of the present research in the south of Masisi territory\u00a0(North Kivu) and around Numbi (Kalehe territory, South Kivu) experienced sizeable spikes in artisanal\u00a0worker numbers in 2014 and 2015, with four out of five miners in the Numbi area reportedly engaged\u00a0in tourmaline extraction. This has seen Numbi develop into a notable market for gemstone (specifically\u00a0tourmaline) trading. Local authorities say that most locally registered traders deal in tourmaline. Here,\u00a0stakeholders reported the potential for making considerable profits from high quality stones.<\/p>\n
Until recently, regulatory neglect and a lack of official trading counters for the purchase and export of\u00a0gemstones from the DRC, had seen the Congolese coloured gemstone trade develop almost exclusively\u00a0in the informal sector. As such, exploitation to date has overwhelmingly taken place illegally, with stones\u00a0leaving the country illicitly for sale in neighbouring countries, such as Rwanda and Tanzania. Rising interest\u00a0in the sector has now seen the licensing of exporters in coloured gemstones in both North and South Kivu.\u00a0Growing interest in tourmaline indicates that the coloured gemstone sector may have the potential to\u00a0contribute to job creation and economic development in eastern DRC. However, a burgeoning trade in\u00a0lightweight, high value gemstones among artisanal miners and informal traders can also pose potential\u00a0risks concerning conflict financing and human rights abuse. Research for this report came across accounts\u00a0of predation by security actors occasioning forced labour, night exploitation and illegal taxation during\u00a0at least one artisanal tourmaline mining spike, as well as claims of involvement of undisciplined public\u00a0security forces in tourmaline exploitation and trade. Moreover, whilst much tourmaline mining in the\u00a0Kivus is currently taking place in areas benefiting from improved general security, banditry remains\u00a0problematic and non-state armed groups continue to operate in adjacent localities.<\/p>\n
The above factors suggest that tourmaline may no longer be a marginal issue when it comes to\u00a0responsible mineral sourcing from eastern DRC. Indeed, research for this report also encountered claims\u00a0that some mineral traders can declare minerals like cassiterite as low value tourmaline to evade tagging\u00a0requirements and reduce tax payments. This raises questions about tourmaline\u2019s significance to ensuring\u00a0the robust implementation of responsible sourcing for other minerals.<\/p>\n
IPIS\/SAM research also highlighted a number of conditions potentially favourable to responsible souring\u00a0from certain areas visited in the context of this study. These included improved local security conditions,\u00a0the existence of validated and iTSCi monitored sites in the vicinity, and increased awareness of OECD due\u00a0diligence requirements among stakeholders, including efforts to engage on issues of OECD compliance,\u00a0amongst others.<\/p>\n
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