Congolese nationals to march to Glencore HQ

A group made up of members of the Congolese community, the Collectif des Congolais de Suisse, is to demonstrate against the activities of the Glencore mining and commodity trading company this afternoon, Monday 23 July.

Ever since the publication of the Paradise Papers, the activities of Glencore in the Democratic Republic of Congo have come under increased scrutiny and criticism. It was through the help of Dan Gertler, an Israeli national who is subject to US sanctions on account of alleged money-laundering and opaque business practices, that Glencore was able to obtain the necessary licences to mine there, not least through the close relationship Gertler has with the long-standing president of the DRC, Joseph Kabila. As a result of Glencore’s activities in the country, the US Department of Justice has asked the company to provide it with detailed information connected with its business dealings there going back to 2007.

Demonstrations against the activities of Glencore are normally organised by local protesters, so this one, led by 60-year-old Jean-Claude Kelala of Zurich, who expects to be accompanied by 120 members of the Congolese community, is unusual. The march itself, for which permission has been given by Baar council, is to start on Poststrasse at 2.30 pm and make its way to Glencore’s headquarters.

Kelala said that the point of the march was to express solidarity with the people of the DRC and to criticise Glencore for conducting business with the regime there. “Locals are paying a high price for what has been happening under the current regime,” he said, mentioning how more than eight million people had lost their lives, thousands of women had been raped and children mutilated.

Kelala has written to Ivan Glasenberg informing him about the March and hoping the CEO will personally meet the delegation and accept a further letter appealing for the company to reconsider its continuing to trade with this “bloodthirsty” African regime.

For its part, Glencore has said that it is pleased with cooperation with all of its partners and had already been in contact with the organisers of Monday’s demonstration in order to arrange a meeting. As to the criticism directed at it, the company said that having poured as much as $7billion into the country since 2008, it was proud to be one of the largest western investors in the DRC, not to mention having been responsible for the creation of 22,000 stable jobs there, too. “We believe our presence there, and in other developing countries, is of great benefit to local business, not to mention supporting infrastructure,” emphasised a company spokesman.