Chris Smith U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 4th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
Chris Smith U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 4th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
U.S. Representative Chris Smith, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Africa subcommittee, will lead a congressional hearing on March 25. The hearing, titled "Metals, Minerals, and Mining: How the CCP Fuels Conflict and Exploitation in Africa," aims to scrutinize the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) involvement in Africa's mining sector.
The focus will be on how the CCP's activities affect human rights, labor exploitation, and regional stability in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Ghana. Witnesses are expected to provide insights into Beijing’s resource-driven policies and their contribution to child forced labor and geopolitical tensions across Africa. Strategies to counter these practices and promote ethical sourcing of metals and critical minerals essential for global supply chains will also be discussed.
Participants in the hearing include Chairman Smith, members of the Subcommittee on Africa, and several witnesses: Ms. Sasha Lezhnev from The Sentry; Mr. Thierry Dongala from Accountable Africa; Mr. Manareldin Zarroug of Omnia Ventures and Al Faisalia Limited; and Mr. Obert Bore from the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association.
The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, March 25 at 10 a.m., taking place in Room 2200 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
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