Someone from CEO boards reads me on Stockhouse. Quite the screed here.
@Lt.VincentHanna @Mik786 I think you are fooling yourself. The civil war in eastern DRC is more widespread than you are aware. Yes, the most contested areas are centered around North Kivu, where M23, aligned with the Rwandan military, are fighting DRC troops. This conflict stems way back, with the 94 Rwandan genocide being strongly intertwined with current events. More and more are fleeing to South Kivu, which is closer to Manono. Masses of people have been ejected from the area around Goma and are spilling into South Kivu right now. In May, 2024, Doctors Without Borders reported large groups of displaced people are moving south and settling in makeshift camps. The UN pulled out of North and South Kivu not long ago. This has drastically escalated the conflict in the area. The entire Great Lakes Region is at risk of getting embroiled in a wider conflict – with Uganda, DRC, Rwanda, South Africa, Burundi, Tanzania and Malawi, all playing a part. Rebel groups in South Kivu include M23, ADF and FDLR. ADF are really nasty – think ISIS linked organization. South Kivu is not as far away as you think – its 410 KM from Minembwe, South Kivu, to Manono. Not only that, but rebels have been active around Manono, where TTX has its operations. In 2021 Bakata Katanga militants surrendered to government forces around Manono. They have not given up. I can assure you this movement is still active in the region. The region around Manono used to known as the triangle of death, with good reason. The second Congo war could become a third. Travel in DRC is slow. Many of the roads in eastern DRC and the interior are seasonal. Travel during the rainy season is very challenging. In any case, roads from Manono to South Kivu are well used. Take a look at a map - N33 and N5 offer a pretty direct route between Manono and South Kivu. Its too close for comfort to me. Given enough trouble in South Kivu and you will see people come west towards Manono. Should the war escalate adhering to Dodd Frank will be impossible. Conflict minerals include tin and tantalum, which TTX processes at its Titan plant, and need to export over robust conflict free travel routes. No easy task to adhere to Dodd Frank which demands that conflict minerals are free from exploitation. Rebel groups want to control illicit trade and collect tariffs from it. TTX doesn't have the means to adhere to a conflict free standard. Not in this environment. Its a task suited to a major producer.