The Democratic Republic of Congo is a nation of 80 million people, covering a landmass the size of Western Europe.  It’s one of world’s largest sources of mineral wealth and should be one of the world’s richest countries.  Instead, it’s one of the poorest.

The DRC is believed to contain up to 90% of the world’s rare earth minerals – a key component of most mobile phones – along with some of the largest global deposits of copper, zinc and gold.

At Independence in 1960, it was the second most industrialised nation in Africa. Now, after years of corruption and civil war, GDP per capita is $300 – one of the lowest in the world.  But because of its mineral wealth, the DR Congo remains of key geopolitical importance.

In this address, Medard Mulangala, parliamentary opposition leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Secretary of the Economics and Finance Committee of the National Assembly, and former Minister for Mining and Energy, will outline the policies that can bring transparency and security to the DRC’s extractive industries.