391:
406:, and export duties paid to the Congolese government constituted 50% of the government's revenue. There were times when the Belgian colony's tax on the UMHK accounted for up to 66% of its revenues. It is reported that in 1960, the UMHK had annual sales of $ 200 million USD, had produced 60 percent of the uranium in the West, 73 percent of the cobalt, and 10 percent of the copper, and had in the Congo 24 affiliates including hydroelectric plants, chemical factories and railways.
443:(Société générale des Carrières et des Mines), a state-owned mining company. Mismanagement and failure to adopt modern standards of mining (rather than mining depletion), as well as outright theft by Mobutu, meant that mining production was greatly reduced, with production rate sinking as much as 70%. Those assets of UMHK not seized by Mobutu were absorbed by the Société Générale de Belgique, later becoming part of Union Minière (now
22:
870:
30:
343:(CNRS), arranged for the UMHK to provide his organization with 5 tonnes of uranium oxide, technical assistance with the construction of a reactor and a million francs, in exchange for having all discoveries made by the CNRS patented by a syndicate, with profits shared between the CNRS and the UMHK. This uranium oxide was transferred to England before German troops entered Paris.
426:, would nationalise its holdings, the UMHK supported Tshombe and became a major force within the new state, and still allowed for Belgian and international control. During the province's secession, the Union transferred 1.25 billion Belgian francs (35 million USD) into Tshombe's bank account, an advance on 1960 taxes which should in fact have been paid to
382:. Nothing like it has ever again been found"; the ore was 65% uranium and even the waste piles were 20%; "after the war the MED and the AEC considered ore containing three tenths of 1 percent as a good find". Some 1200 tonnes of uranium stored at the Olen refinery were captured by the Germans in 1940, and only recovered by US troops at the end of the war.
229:
their opinion of development was "good health, good spirits, and high productivity." Possibly it was because of this approach, and in order to keep and placate the workforce, that the Union introduced an accident compensation scheme as early as 1928. Katanga's mineral wealth led to the construction of railways (including the
228:
During its years of operation, the UMHK greatly contributed to the wealth of
Belgium, and, to a lesser extent, Katanga—which developed more than the surrounding regions without similar mineral resources. The company could be considered harshly capitalistic, but its motto at the time, best expressing
347:
454:
was a murder committed in part to benefit mining companies like Union Minière, after
Hammarsköld had made the UN intervene in Congo's Katanga crisis after a call for intervention by prime minister Lumumba. Björkdahl based his assertion on interviews with witnesses of the
324:
ore, and by 1926 had a virtual monopoly of the world uranium market (holding most of the deposits known at the time), to be broken only by the German invasion of 1940. This uranium was mostly refined at
402:, and operated schools, dispensaries, hospitals and sporting establishments, and had enjoyed virtually unlimited funds. In 1959, Belgian profits from the Union Miniere were in excess of 3.5 billion
921:
971:
896:
951:
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of its
Congolese assets, with its name shortened as Union Minière. It kept operating under that name until after the 1989 merger that created what in 2001 became known as
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302:
184:
has no terrors for the great Mid-African mines of the Union Minière du Haut
Katanga, world's biggest producer... Elements in Katanga's strength are: tremendously rich
378:) the project required. This was already in the United States, and additional ore was shipped from the Congo. The mine had a "tremendously rich lode of uranium
414:
The
Belgian Congo became independent in June 1960. After a brief period of political unrest, Katanga Province seceded unilaterally from the Congo to form the
83:
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of copper on its first year. By 1919, annual production had risen to 22,000 tonnes, produced by seven furnaces. In 1935, the Union was party to the
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The United States of
America obtained uranium for the atomic bomb from the Union Minière. At a meeting on 18 September 1942 between
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Göran Björkdahl (a
Swedish aid worker) wrote in 2011 that he believed that the death of the-then United Nations Secretary-General
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In addition to the copper for which it is known, Katanga was also rich in other minerals. The company controlled the exports of
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149:, the Société Générale controlled 70% of the Congolese economy. Exercising preponderant influence over the
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153:, the Société Générale effectively controlled the Union Minière from its inception to 1960. In 1968, the
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233:) to connect it with the Angolan coast which took place in 1911, other rail lines connected Katanga to
208:, saves hundreds of rail miles, thousands of nautical miles for Katanga copper on its long journey to
55:
mining company (with minority
British share) which controlled and operated the mining industry in the
610:
305:, who has studied minerals coming from the UMHK, is responsible for the discovery of billietite,
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deposits in
Katanga at the same time eventually led to a Belgian radium-extracting industry.
237:. Thereafter, mineral production, especially of copper, took off. For instance, in 1911, the
161:, which merged in 1989 with other entities to form the company that in 2001 renamed itself
71:
8:
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309:, renierite, richetite, schuilingite-(Nd), sengierite, studtite and vandendriesscheite.
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852:"De nationalistie van de Congolese activa van de UMHK: Afstoting en afhankelijkheid"
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200:(over 82%, of world radium supply) on the side; and, most recent, the newly opened
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269:(the UMHK was responsible for 75 percent of world production during the 1950s),
257:. In the 1950s, Congo was the world’s fourth largest copper-producing country.
94:, the company was allocated a 7,700 square miles (20,000 km) concession in
281:, a famous Belgian metallurgist and administrator of UMHK from 1911, described
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437:, took over the possessions and activities of the UMHK, transforming it into
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430:. In 1963, the secession was ended and Katanga reintegrated into the Congo.
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718:"Uranium exposed at Expo 58: the colonial agenda behind the peaceful atom"
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748:
History and
Technology, 37:2, 172-202, DOI: 10.1080/07341512.2021.1960074
379:
371:
238:
86:(CCCI), which was controlled by the country's largest conglomerate, the
592:
Robert Kovar, "La congolisation de l'Union minière du Haut-Katanga" in
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34:
422:. Fearing that the Congo's left-leaning political leaders, especially
496:
Région de Bruxelles-Capitale / Inventaire du Patrimoine Architectural
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759:"Dag Hammarskjöld: evidence suggests UN chief's plane was shot down"
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803:– scroll down to Union Minière du Haut Katanga (de facto rulers)
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370:, Nichols purchased the 1500 tonnes of uranium (mostly mined at
249:. One of its prominent figure were Belgian financier and lawyer
21:
922:
Copper mining companies of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
492:"Ancien immeuble de bureaux de l'Union Minière du Haut-Katanga"
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On 31 December 1966, the Congolese government, under President
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1966 disestablishments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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During its heyday, the UMHK held quasi governmental power in
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Documents and clippings about Union Minière du Haut-Katanga
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542:"Compagnie du Congo pour le Commerce et l'Industrie. CCCI"
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I have no doubt Dag Hammarskjöld's plane was brought down
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102:
897:
Mining companies of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Non-renewable resource companies disestablished in 1966
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Uranium mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Its primary product was copper, but it also produced
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Trading companies disestablished in the 20th century
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Non-renewable resource companies established in 1906
865:
241:, owned by the UMHK, began operation, supplying 997
82:. The Compagnie du Katanga was a subsidiary of the
51:; literally "Mining Union of Upper-Katanga") was a
457:plane crash near the border of the DRC with Zambia
84:Compagnie du Congo pour le Commerce et l'Industrie
987:Trading companies established in the 20th century
572:. New York: Public Affairs. pp. 76–77, 289.
394:Mining by the Union Minière du Haut Katanga, 1922
883:
788:, Göran Björkdahl, The Guardian, August 17, 2011
508:
409:
320:In 1922, the UMHK built its first refinery for
509:Oliver, Roland; Sanderson, G.N., eds. (1975),
385:
277:in its mines, among the richest in the world.
849:
467:In 1968, UMHK was reorganized following the
340:Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
967:1906 establishments in the Congo Free State
715:
515:, Cambridge University Press, p. 342,
66:Created in 1906, the UMHK was founded as a
651:"From nuclear science to the nuclear bomb"
607:"Business & Finance: Copper's Travail"
563:
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143:powerful group of global copper producers
594:Annuaire français de droit international
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28:
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609:. TIME. 10 August 1931. Archived from
977:Belgian companies established in 1906
927:Uranium mining companies of Belgium
13:
892:Copper mining companies of Belgium
843:
204:, which connects Katanga with the
14:
1003:
962:1966 disestablishments in Belgium
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317:is named, was a UMHK consultant.
957:Companies disestablished in 1966
868:
838:University of Manchester Library
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61:Democratic Republic of the Congo
779:
751:
716:Dennis Pohl (August 31, 2021).
709:
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512:The Cambridge History of Africa
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37:(modern-day Lubumbashi) in 1917
917:Belgian colonisation in Africa
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25:Former head office in Brussels
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850:Van den Borre, Maite (2023).
735:10.1080/07341512.2021.1960074
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459:, and on archival documents.
155:Union Minière du Haut-Katanga
44:Union Minière du Haut-Katanga
982:Trading companies of Belgium
912:Société Générale de Belgique
410:After Congolese independence
88:Société Générale de Belgique
7:
824:20th Century Press Archives
682:. New York: Morrow pp. 47.
596:, 1967, No. 13, pp. 747–748
386:Social policy and influence
10:
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907:Mining in Katanga Province
859:Journal of Belgian History
649:Tomczak, Matthias (2004).
260:
90:. With the support of the
801:List of directors of UMHK
173:
76:Comité Spécial du Katanga
59:region in the modern-day
902:Defunct mining companies
636:21 December 2004 at the
568:Williams, Susan (2016).
303:Johannes Franciscus Vaes
703:March 25, 2005, at the
374:mine, near the town of
63:between 1906 and 1966.
33:UMHK ore processing in
722:History and Technology
395:
351:
247:World Copper Agreement
80:Tanganyika Concessions
38:
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16:Belgian mining company
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331:Frédéric Joliot-Curie
329:, Belgium. In 1939 ,
141:. UMHK was part of a
32:
24:
808:Scramble for Katanga
657:on 16 September 2009
613:on February 11, 2005
435:Joseph-Désiré Mobutu
428:Lumumba's government
358:, head of UMHK, and
192:; big production of
72:Compagnie du Katanga
811:(downloadable book)
680:The Road to Trinity
676:Nichols, Kenneth D.
937:History of Katanga
570:Spies in the Congo
396:
352:
337:newly established
219:, 10 August 1931,
145:. By the start of
39:
27:
942:Manhattan Project
767:. August 17, 2011
522:978-0-521-22803-9
368:Manhattan Project
297:. The finding of
291:cuprosklodowskite
279:Henri Buttgenbach
235:Northern Rhodesia
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416:State of Katanga
350:Shinkolobwe mine
253:and businessman
251:Felicien Cattier
231:Benguela railway
217:Copper's Travail
210:European markets
202:Benguela Railway
78:and the British
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728:(2): 172–202.
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769:. Retrieved
764:The Guardian
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655:the original
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548:(in French)
380:pitchblende
372:Shinkolobwe
295:thoreaulite
239:Ruashi Mine
886:Categories
771:August 17,
552:2021-03-17
528:2021-03-17
479:References
376:Jadotville
57:copperbelt
744:239761222
440:Gécamines
315:Briartite
283:cornetite
131:manganese
127:germanium
701:Archived
678:(1987).
634:Archived
362:General
307:masuyite
206:Atlantic
826:of the
822:in the
815:Umicore
473:Umicore
445:Umicore
400:Katanga
366:of the
322:uranium
261:Uranium
163:Umicore
123:cadmium
115:uranium
96:Katanga
53:Belgian
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686:
661:6 July
617:6 July
576:
519:
418:under
335:French
299:radium
267:cobalt
243:tonnes
198:radium
194:cobalt
182:copper
180:Cheap
174:Copper
137:, and
135:silver
111:radium
107:cobalt
49:French
855:(PDF)
740:S2CID
190:labor
773:2011
684:ISBN
663:2009
619:2009
574:ISBN
517:ISBN
327:Olen
293:and
275:zinc
222:Time
196:and
186:ores
139:gold
119:zinc
41:The
828:ZBW
730:doi
447:).
271:tin
103:tin
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47:(
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