AfricaMuseum digitises archives documenting Congolese natural resources
The AfricaMuseum in Tervuren is digitising its archive of geological maps and documents relating to Congolese natural resources. The information is gradually being handed over to the Congolese authorities, according to Vanessa Matz, minister for Science Policy and Digitalisation.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is stepping up pressure to have the documents on mineral resources held at the AfricaMuseum released. Discussions have taken place recently between the Congolese and Belgian governments, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
With financial support from the European Commission, seven additional staff members have been working at the museum since the autumn to speed up the process of digitisation. The museum “sets the priorities with its Congolese partners” and “gradually passes on the digitised information to the relevant Congolese authorities”, according to Matz’s cabinet.
The documents contain information on the location of coltan, lithium, cobalt, copper and tin, all raw materials that are crucial to the global economy. Various parties have already attempted to gain access to them. The American mining company KoBold Metals requested access to the archive in February but the museum refused.
Matz’s cabinet said on Sunday that Belgium could not simply grant exclusive access to the archives to a foreign private company with which it has no contractual relationship.
#FlandersNewsService | A gallery assistant at the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, January 2024 © PHOTO JOHN THYS / AFP
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