In Lubumbashi, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), hundreds of residents of the attached municipality on the outskirts of the city condemn the mining activities of the mining company Katanga Somika. In 2005, the same company had already been accused by several NGOs of contaminating the water table in Kimilolo, where a station from the drinking water distribution company is installed.
In vain the pollution of the aquifer continues with the pollution of crops and of the air. To support the victims in their claims, the NGO Evangelical Non-Violence Action Group (GANVE) recently published a report on these pollution cases and intends to file a collective complaint against the company. The Katanga Somika mining company produces sulfuric acid, copper and cobalt.
Henock lives in the Somika neighborhood. Part of his house, located about ten meters from the factory, collapsed a month ago. Only the small living room is left whose roof is supported by planks. As a result, he took refuge with neighbors. He testified: “This is my home. I had built my house, the walls have been crumbling for a while, that’s the effect of the acid coming from the Somika company. Even the earth is cracked, see. It is impossible to live there! ”
“We inhale a gas that stings in the nose”
The cracks in the ground are sometimes five centimeters long and extend almost 800 meters in certain parts of the area: a permanent danger to the inhabitants. Another problem is the quality of the water from the wells. It tastes bitter, smells of lime and causes rashes. Christelle, who is sitting in front of her house with her baby in her arms, says she is worried. “Look at our children, they are suffering,” she said. They have pimples all over their body. We have to get them to the hospital all the time. We have become like hospital slaves, mercy on us. ”
Further east, approx. 600 meters from the Somika factory, is Saint-Fortunat primary school. About one hundred students are educated there. But fewer and fewer of them go there because the air is suffocating. “We inhale a gas that stings in the nose,” says Faustin Tshamala, the school principal, who can no longer take it. In 2018, he went to court. No consequences until then. “Those responsible for the company do not care, they have never appeared in court. We suffer, but we do not know which way to turn, ”complains Faustin Tshamala.
Alarmed by NGO GANVE, the provincial government of Haut-Katanga claims to have taken some action. “We asked that our team take this water and also take some soil samples for analysis,” said Gislain Kyenge, provincial minister of mines. is out, we will invite Somika so that together we can see how we can tackle this pollution and preserve the lives of the people. ”On the Somika page, a manager who requested anonymity assures us that the mining company is making efforts to reduce the effects of pollution .
.
