By Nicholas Bariyo
Special to DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo Thursday
started to deploy special forces in Katanga province in an attempt
to contain a growing wave of insecurity in the country's
copper-mining heartland, a military spokesman said.
A separatist militia group, known as Bakata Katanga, has stepped
up attacks in Katanga since March, destabilizing the province that
has for years been shielded from the violent insurgencies that have
dogged mineral-rich eastern Congo since the late 1990s. In March,
Bakata Katanga swept through the copper-mining hub city of
Lubumbashi, Katanga's capital, for several hours, sending
shockwaves through the mine investment community.
The U.N. mission, known as Monusco, is expected to complete the
deployment of a special forces unit, comprising of more than 100
Egyptian troops, in the province in the next few days to neutralize
threats to civilians and aid officials, Colonel Felix Basse, the
Monusco military spokesman told Dow Jones Newswires.
It is the first time the U.N. has deployed specialized troops in
Katanga, since the start of insurgency early this year. The
insurgency threatens multi-billion dollar copper mining projects in
Katanga, which is expected to produce around 800,000 metric tons of
copper this year that would bring it on a par with Zambia, Africa's
largest copper producer.
"With more officers and men on the ground, we shall be in a
better combat position to deal with the insecurity," Col. Base
said. "Threats to civilians and NGOs (Non-Government Organizations)
are on the rise, it's within our mandate to act."
The unit will reinforce several battalions of peacekeeping
troops in the province, which exported 600,000 tons of copper last
year.
Glencore Xstrata PLC (GLEN.LN), U.S. miner Freeport-McMoRan
Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX) and Lundin Mining Corp. (LUN.T) are
among companies operating in the province.
While the mining sector in troubled eastern Congo is devoid of
large-scale investments, Katanga, which has seen years of relative
peace, has attracted huge investment in the past decade, helping to
turn around its once shattered copper mining sector.
Write to Nicholas Bariyo at Nicholas.Bariyo@dowjones.com
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