Kagame Affirms Rwanda has Abundant Deposits of Globally Best Quality Coltan, Reports KT Press

KIGALI, Rwanda, Jan. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Rwanda's President Paul Kagame says Rwanda has abundant coltan deposits around the country.

Kagame said on Thursday, January 15, at a state house press briefing that, "Rwanda has not only enough coltan but of a very high quality."

He rubbished allegations that Rwanda plunders DR Congo minerals, and offered to facilitate any scientific investigation, if need be. "We can even pay for a ticket... give them a visa and... take them to the mines," he said.

In 2013, Rwanda exported 2.5 tons of coltan, worth US $134.5m, accounting for 28% of the total 8.8 tons of tantalum produced globally.

On January 6, 2015, Merchant Research & Consulting Ltd, a UK-based research firm, released a report indicating the global coltan trade.

The report said the global market for coltan witnessed a decrease in terms of production; falling by 13.6%, year on year.

The consulting firm confirmed Rwanda remained the leading producer of the material, followed by Brazil, Congo, Nigeria and Canada, with 23.7%, 18.6%, 10.2% and 8.5% shares of the overall coltan production, respectively.

It also said global tantalum deposits are sufficient to meet the demand in the years ahead. Rwanda says it has not fully exploited its abundant deposits.

Meanwhile, in 2013, countries producing coltan were subjected to US Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (DFA) that controls the purchase of minerals sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its 11 neighbours.

The act was meant to deter the plundering of minerals in DR Congo, activities that financed the conflicts in the country.

Rwanda says it has fulfilled all the requirements.  The country has introduced a Minerals Traceability Program where all its minerals get tagged from the mining sites until their final destination.

Indeed, companies sourcing minerals from Rwanda are forced to export only those that are conflict-free. Coltan is a rare mineral, hugely on demand in industrial countries for production of electronics.

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Dan Ngabonziza
KT Press
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SOURCE KT Press