MINISTER OF MINES ANNOUNCES 40KG DRC URANIUM

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001057 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2015 TAGS: EMIN KNNP ENRG PARM CG CF SUBJECT: MINISTER OF MINES ANNOUNCES 40KG DRC URANIUM CONFISCATED Classified By: Econoff WBrafman for reasons 1.4 e/f ¶1. (U) The DRC Minister of Mines, Ingele Ifoto, announced at a June 21 press conference that 40kg of enriched uranium had been confiscated in neighboring Brazzaville, Republic of Congo (ROC). The Minister told members of the press that the uranium, illegally exported from the DRC, is radioactive and highly enriched. The press reported that the ROC Minister of Mines, Pierre Oba, has dismantled the "mafia" network of DRC and ROC traders responsible for the cross-river trading. The GROC has not yet returned the uranium to the GDRC. ¶2. (C) Comment: We are not even convinced that any uranium was seized at all, let alone that it is enriched. The nuclear reactor at the University of Kinshasa, the only existing facility of its kind in the DRC, is not capable of enriching uranium. End comment. MEECE