“The DRC Ministry of Mines notes the recent speculation concerning the outcome of the Licence Review Commission. The speculation is not based on any official document, but on a leak of an early draft from within the Commission. The government deplores the leaking of this draft and the uncertainty that it has understandably created.”

Martin Kabwelula, the DRC’s Minister of Mines, said on November 6: “The review process has been damaged by this grossly misleading leak of information, but the DRC remains determined to manage the license review responsibly and to the benefit of all responsible companies. It is expected that, after all irregularities have been corrected, the great majority of companies currently in the DRC will remain in the country for the long term. This has been and will remain the position of the government.”