The mines in Katanga, Congo

A crew from French television was filming a documentary on mining in Congo, and needed a geological consultant. I agreed, (as long as I got to fly the BA wherever we had to go. That turned out to be about 12 more hours of turbine cross country ferry time. Once again thanks so much for making my private pilot license happen before I came back here!

Wherever we go here in the Congo, the aircraft has to be under guard. In this area, in particular, the last time I was there, I was greeted by assault rifle-wielding locals whose chief had decreed that if a woman walked on the sacred ground (the mine), the copper concentration would drop and someone would die in the mine.

There are active rebel territories in the north where you just can’t put down, or if you do, you can’t reasonably expect to ever take off again. We have also been told of areas where cannibalism is still in practice, and as such, probably do not make good refueling stops. On the bright side, there are no power lines to worry about!

Posted on September 17th, 2008 by Rhonda
Filed under: Photo Galleries