[allAfrica.com]


Tanzania Holds Rwanda Export

The Monitor (Kampala)
NEWS
December 11, 2002
Posted to the web December 11, 2002

By Richard M. Kavuma
Kampala
Tanzania has withheld a shipment of coltan from Rwanda on suspicion that it was
illegally obtained from DR Congo, The Monitor has learnt.
According to an Oct. 4 letter from the Tanzanian embassy in Kinshasa, 36 tonnes
of coltan were ready for shipment from Oct. 5 'by Rwanda from Dar-es-Salaam.'
The letter says Tanzania took the unprecedented measure to clear its image.
"The efforts of Tanzania are being made to put an end to accusations against
Tanzania that she facilitates the shipment of resources illegally obtained by
nationals to countries neighbouring the Democratic Republic of Congo," reads
the letter addressed to the DRC Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The letter asks the DRC government to confirm if the minerals belong to Rwanda
so that Tanzania could okay the shipment. The DRC government was also given the
option to stall the shipment while it carried out further investigations.
Tanzania's move appears to be a result of the UN report that accused
neighbouring countries of aiding the exportation of natural resources from the
DRC. The report accused army officers from Uganda and the Rwandan army of
looting Congo's resources. Both Rwanda and Uganda dismissed the report as based
on hearsay.
Rwandan Government Spokesman, Joseph Bideri could not comment on the report.
Bideri, who first asked to look at the Kinshasa letter, referred The Monitor to
the company to which the coltan reportedly belongs.
"That coltan belongs to a Rwandan company. You talk to Francis Kalimba," said
Bideri when The Monitor got back to him. "He has been pursuing that case."
Kalimba could, however, not be reached as his phone was on voice mail.

   

  =============================================================================
  Copyright © 2002 The Monitor. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica
                         Global Media (allAfrica.com).
  =============================================================================