JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Dual-listed Banro Corporation on Friday said mining staff at its Namoya gold operations, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), have returned to work, following a precautionary evacuation earlier this week.
On Monday, fighting between the Congolese army and a militia forced the miner to suspend operations, as 23 trucks, belonging to a contractor of the mine, were caught in a cross-fire between soldiers and a local self-defence militia – identified by the army as Mai-Mai Yakutumba – near the town of Lulimba.
The fighting is the latest security episode to hit Banro's operations in eastern Congo. Militiamen kidnapped five Namoya workers – later released – in March and three police officers were killed in a raid on Banro's Twangiza gold mine in a neighbouring province in February.
Banro CEO Dr John Clarke thanked staff and the national and regional governments of the DRC for their support.
“This has been instrumental in the safe return of our employees and contractors to site, and the safety of the supply truck convoy that was originally stranded in Lulimba and has now been released."