RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:Definition of courageMy point is it is very difficult to do business in such countries without making felicitation/facilitation payments. Western companies have traditionally done business in the customary way. There are also grey areas, and no company is immune from scrutiny:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-17/ivanhoe-s-congo-success-follows-deals-with-president-s-brother
Glencore is now distancing itself from Dan Gertler and Fleurette, after Gertler has received attention from US authorities, and has had some attention paid in Canada to its dealings through its Katanga subsidiary.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/nov/05/revealed-glencore-secret-loan-drc-mining-rights-paradise-papers
The complicity of Western banks is important for laundering money:
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/financial-services/hsbc-revelations-shine-light-on-secretive-diamond-world-1.2097146
It is not a question of absolutes. The way business is really done is not transparent to all. Special interests dictate terms and drive transactions. The Carter Center and Global Witness estimate that USD 750 million has gone walkabout from Gecamines coffers. Many foreign mining companies including Ivanhoe have direct partnerships with Gecamines. Being between the DRC government and quasi-governmental entities, and the CFPOA and other Western authorities and critics is a bit like being between a rock and a hard place. Who are your friends here? Depending on the situation, other miners may be competitors or allies, but most have cash flow, which puts them in a much stronger position.