The Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC) has said that the decision to restrict the movement of copper concentrates was made in the interests of both DRC and Zambia.

The Zambian newspaper Post Friday quoted DRC Katanga Province Governor Moses Katumbi as saying in a telephone interview from Lubumbashi of DRC that some crooked people are stealing copper concentrates from both the DRC and Zambia and making false declarations at the border.

He was quoted as saying "people are not paying taxes. Zambia is losing. Congo is losing. Trucks are crossing the borders illegally with no papers."

Katumbi said his decision is also aimed at protecting people's lives as some of the materials being illegally moved from the DRC across the region are radioactive.

He said he will stick to his decision made in March 2007 to restrict the movement of unprocessed materials, especially copper, between the DRC and Zambia.

According to the decision, export of unprocessed minerals ( minerals scraps, malachite, etc) is forbidden, except with conditional authority from the Ministry of Mines.

More than 300 trucks carry copper concentrates for various destinations are still marooned in the DRC.

The trucks, which are supposed to pass through Kasumbalesa border post, were impounded by the authorities in the DRC about three weeks ago.

Zambia's Copperbelt Permanent Secretary, Jennifer Musonda, who visited Kasumbalesa, said the move by the DRC has affected the flow of traffic at the border post.

At first the trucks destined for Zambia were impounded for alleged overloading, a practice which the DRC officials said contributed to damaging of the road network.

Zambia Daily Mail Friday quoted Musonda as saying that the over 300 trucks are still impounded in the DRC and have been told to empty them if they want them to cross to Zambia. But the drivers can't empty them without the permission from their employers.

Source: Xinhua