LONDON — British-based broker Amalgamated Metal Corporation Group rejected claims Wednesday that it was fuelling the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo through its mineral trades.
Global Witness, a non-governmental organisation in London, on Tuesday accused AMC unit Thailand Smelting and Refining Co (Thaisarco) of buying minerals from suppliers that trade with armed groups in the central African country.
"We are disappointed with the number of inaccuracies and omissions in the report and are concerned that all the facts should be properly represented in a balanced way," AMC said in a statement issued in response.
The company said some of the assertions were "simply wrong," for example on the different minerals that Thaisarco has purchased, despite AMC's efforts to cooperate with Global Witness.
AMC also insisted that the metals industry as a whole "is taking the continued trade and the issue of provenance of cassiterite (tin oxide mineral used in mobile phones) of Congolese origin very seriously".
It also pointed to a due diligence plan for Congolese tin minerals to which AMC subscribes and which makes traceability a priority "to ensure that the trade does not benefit warring groups."
In their report, Global Witness called Tuesday for governments to take "rigorous measures" against companies it blamed for fuelling the 12-year-old conflict, which included British company Afrimex and Belgium's Trademet.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
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