VANCOUVER, CANADA – Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN; OTCQX: IVPAF) has issued this response today to a misleading and sensationalist “report” from an activist organization based in the United States, called The Sentry (Sentry), and an associated article in the Canadian Globe and Mail newspaper.
The Sentry report, and a subsequent story by Globe and Mail reporter Geoffrey York that was published on December 15, 2022, include incomplete, selective and speculative content pertaining to Ivanhoe Mines' business activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and mineral exploration investments on its Western Foreland Exploration Project. Both reports are irresponsibly framed to infer or theorize that some form of corporate malpractice involving Ivanhoe’s Western Foreland Exploration Project took place. However, they lack any tangible evidence that misconduct occurred.
The Sentry report attempts to frame a series of corporate transactions in a way that could mislead readers into believing that Ivanhoe Mines participated in some form of corporate malfeasance. The Sentry report resorts to the use of qualifying phrases, including "it appears", and "concerns of corruption" while stating that it "could not conclusively indicate" that certain events did take place.
Publishing unsubstantiated “reporting”, or frankly misinformation, represents a broad risk to Canadian companies that have worked collaboratively with a variety of multinational partners to build industry-leading operations for the benefit of shareholders, host governments, employees and local communities. It is also of great disservice to the DRC and its citizens, who have made significant strides in recent years in increasing responsible, foreign direct investment and advancing the DRC’s pivotal role in the development and production of strategic metals that benefit the global economy.
The Globe and Mail participated in publishing speculative claims giving Sentry’s inconsistent research major, unwarranted amplification, despite clearly not conducting much of its own research on the validity of many elements of the Sentry report before publication. It should be noted that except for the Globe and Mail, most other news outlets have not covered the Sentry report up to this point in time.
The Globe and Mail’s December 15 story included a headline declaring that the Ivanhoe Mines’ office in Vancouver, British Columbia, had been searched by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canada’s federal police force. But the story did not provide relevant context. After its introduction, the story does report that the police search took place more than one year ago and was publicly disclosed by Ivanhoe Mines on March 30, 2022.
Both the Sentry report and the Globe and Mail article are rife with misleading content that selectively discloses supposed facts. This tactic has the effect of impugning Ivanhoe Mines’ reputation, adversely impacting its business and negatively impacting public Canadian corporations operating internationally.
Ivanhoe Mines is considering the impact on its share price correlated with the Globe and Mail’s headline, given the sharp decline and subsequent sharp recovery in the company’s share price over the two-day trading period that ended December 16, 2022.
Ivanhoe Mines conducts its business in alignment with national and international laws, including in its partnering with DRC shareholders where required by law.
In this public statement, Ivanhoe Mines will now clarify certain facts, correct misinterpretations of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s mining code and provide vital context that is missing from the selected narrative published online by Sentry and then widely disseminated by the Globe and Mail.
Reports by Sentry and Globe and Mail are not focused on Ivanhoe’s Kamoa-Kakula joint venture or Kipushi project in the DRC
Ivanhoe Mines has an interest in three projects in the DRC: 1) the Kamoa-Kakula Mining Complex in a joint venture with Zijin Mining Group (Zijin) and the Government of the DRC (which owns a 20% interest); 2) the Kipushi Project, in a joint venture with state-owned Gécamines (which owns a 32% interest); and 3) the Western Foreland Exploration Project.
The Globe and Mail story refers only to the “mining project in Congo”, presumably meaning Ivanhoe’s flagship Kamoa-Kakula Mining Complex, to date the company’s most advanced project. Meanwhile, the Sentry report focuses on Ivanhoe’s Western Foreland Exploration Project and related early-stage exploration work in the DRC pursuing mineral discovery. This could mislead readers into assuming that the Globe and Mail and Sentry reports cover all of Ivanhoe Mines’ activities in the DRC.
The Globe and Mail’s story fails to note that the search warrant obtained in 2021 by the RCMP, Canada’s federal police force, was not related to Kamoa-Kakula or any of Ivanhoe Mines’ other mineral projects. Ivanhoe Mines is continuing its cooperation with the RCMP investigation, but because it is an ongoing matter Ivanhoe Mines is making only limited comments regarding the investigation in this public statement. Ivanhoe Mines re-iterates that no charges have been laid against the company, or any of its directors, officers, or employees, and no financial provision has been made in relation to this matter.
The RCMP search warrant relates to Stucky Ltd. (Stucky), Stucky Technologies and the DRC state-owned power company, Société Nationale d’Electricité (SNEL). Stucky is now a part of Gruner AG (https://www.gruner.ch/en/home), a century-old Switzerland-based engineering, planning and consulting company that operates in the infrastructure and energy sectors. Stucky itself has operated for more than 160 years.
Since 2015, Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin through the Kamoa-Kakula joint venture, have financed improvements in power generation and transmission across the DRC. The upgrade of the Mwadingusha power station was completed in 2021 and the refurbishment of unit #5 at the Inga II facility is expected to be completed in late 2024. Over 250 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity generated from both facilities will be fed directly into the DRC grid, benefiting the DRC, its people as well as the Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi operations.
All six new turbines at the 78-MW Mwadingusha hydropower plant have been generating clean electricity since August 2021. The refurbishment of the facility, owned by SNEL, was funded by the Kamoa-Kakula joint venture.
It is the Mwadingusha refurbishment that the Globe and Mail story fails to contextualize for the reader. Stucky (and the Gruner group, more broadly) have a long, successful history consulting on more than 1.5 gigawatts of hydroelectricity power projects in the DRC. In addition to Mwadingusha, Stucky was engaged in the ongoing rehabilitation and refurbishment of turbine #5 at Inga II. Stucky was first appointed by the World Bank to carry out a technical assessment of the Inga II dam in 2013. However, Stucky’s history with DRC projects dates back 70 years, when it designed the 100 MW Nzilo dam commissioned in the early 1950s. Stucky is also the consulting engineer on Nzilo II, which is expected to enter commercial operation in 2025.
Ivanhoe Mines and its joint-venture partner Zijin do not own any of this electrical infrastructure, nor have they obtained any benefit aside from the increase of available power through the grid. In fact, for funding the refurbishment of the Mwadingusha facility, as well as unit #5 at Inga II, the Kamoa-Kakula joint venture continues to incur a significant cost that will peak at more than US$300 million. Ivanhoe Mines’ share of the funding is repaid solely by receiving a partial rebate on electricity charges from SNEL, the DRC state owned electric power utility, which ceases when the loan funding is repaid.
In addition to funding the improved electrical infrastructure that has benefited Congolese livelihoods, the Kamoa-Kakula Mining Complex is also a major local long-term employer and taxpayer. In Kamoa-Kakula’s short history, it has generated more than 12,000 direct jobs, approximately 95% of which are held by Congolese nationals.
Kamoa-Kakula has established a world-class training centre to provide opportunities for unskilled workers, including local community members, to become highly skilled and safe mining operators, and has actively promoted the inclusion of women in the workforce.
Since the first copper production, which only commenced in May 2021, Kamoa-Kakula has made tax and royalty payments to the Congolese government of more than US$500 million, as of September 30, 2022. These payments are set to continue to increase as Kamoa-Kakula embarks upon its various expansion phases. Without the electrical power upgrades and associated infrastructure, none of those benefits would have been created.
The Sentry report demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the DRC mining code, the mining industry, and Ivanhoe’s Western Foreland Exploration Project
The Sentry organization promotes itself as “an investigative and policy organization that seeks to disable multinational predatory networks that benefit from violent conflict, repression, and kleptocracy”. It is unclear how this relates in any way to Ivanhoe Mines’ history of exploration activities, what expertise the organization has in terms of mineral exploration and development, or the DRC as a mining jurisdiction.
The Sentry report attempts to address title matters at Ivanhoe’s Western Foreland Exploration Project in the DRC and implies improper corporate conduct across the rest of Ivanhoe Mines’ portfolio in the country.
Early-stage exploration activities across Ivanhoe Mines’ vast, 2,400-sq.km Western Foreland Exploration Project.
The Western Foreland Exploration Project is an exploration-stage project in a remote part of the DRC with significant mineral potential, but no operating mines. It is in an area that lacks even basic infrastructure – including roads, electricity or communications. It experiences a long rainy season, making the exploration for valuable minerals seasonal, difficult and ultimately expensive. It is precisely these types of areas that the world needs to explore to find the minerals demanded by many governments and industries today.
Contrary to reality on the ground, the Sentry report leads readers to believe that the Western Foreland Exploration Project is a treasure trove of valuable copper deposits that Ivanhoe Mines has obtained through ill-gotten means by acquiring exploration licences through “high-level connections”. This statement betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of the exploration process and Ivanhoe Mines’ exploration activities in the DRC. The value of the Western Foreland Exploration Project results only from Ivanhoe Mines’ nearly 20 years of exploration activities and accumulated scientific understanding of the region and underlying geology.
Ivanhoe Mines and its shareholders have assumed the risks and expended the time, effort and money to explore for minerals, which may or may not be there. It is not the case that the company obtained ownership of an existing mine. The Sentry report omits this fundamental context as it would prefer readers believe that Ivanhoe Mines has been awarded a valuable mining asset through dubious means. That simply is not true.
There also is a fundamental misunderstanding by Sentry of the legislative framework under the DRC mining code and the process by which mineral licenses are granted. It is not clear whether any person qualified to practice law in the DRC, or with any experience in the country, assisted Sentry in understanding DRC mining and company law. Ivanhoe Mines employs experienced, qualified executives and local counsel to assure its understanding and compliance with the country’s laws and mining code.
For example, Sentry seem completely unaware that force majeure in the DRC extended the stated holding periods on mineral licenses on two occasions, which naturally extended the Western Foreland group of licence holdings. Sentry also fail to properly disclose that it is legal under the DRC mining code for companies to re-apply for expired licenses. Ivanhoe Mines has, on occasion, re-applied for permits that have expired, per this legal process.
The report relies heavily on a myriad of technical legalese intended to infer some nefarious “gaming” of the system. This concludes with “…the evidence suggests that, with a lot of money at stake, the law didn’t seem to apply to a top operator with high-level connections.” The law did apply. Sentry failed to understand the Congolese legal framework it now purports to have exposed.
As the Sentry report notes, Ivanhoe Mines has held various exploration and mining licences in the Western Foreland area since 2003 – almost 20 years ago. Although there are signatures of copper mineralization, on none of these licences has a highly significant mineral discovery been made, nor are there any operating mines. Not a single dollar in revenue has been generated from the vast Western Foreland exploration area. Rather, Ivanhoe Mines has invested more than US$100 million in this area building roads and bridges, conducting drilling and other exploration activities, as well as training and employing Congolese in the effort. As a result, during the past two decades, Ivanhoe Mines has only incurred losses from its activities on the Western Foreland licences as it takes the risks necessary to try to find a new tier-one discovery.
Therefore, it is not clear on what basis the Sentry report suggests that there is “a lot of money at stake.” The only money at stake is exploration risk capital that Ivanhoe Mines and its shareholders have been using to search for copper, buried under a thick blanket of Kalahari sands, which no other company was prepared to explore for before Ivanhoe discovered Kamoa-Kakula.
Sentry calls Ivanhoe Mines a “top operator”, which is an accurate characterization. Ivanhoe Mines has explored for, and identified, a world-class copper deposit at Kamoa-Kakula which, through phased expansion, is projected to become the world’s third-largest copper-producing mining complex. This effort was recognized in 2015 when members of the Ivanhoe Mines exploration team received the prestigious Thayer Lindsley Award from the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada for the discovery of the Kamoa copper deposit. This celebrated the experience and expertise of Ivanhoe Mines in mineral exploration – exactly what one expects from a “top operator”.
It is logical and advantageous for the DRC government to grant exploration licences to such a “top operator”. This is particularly true when the Western Foreland exploration licences are adjacent to a world-class copper mine discovered by that very same “top operator” with an unparalleled mining industry track record for discovery, development and job creation in the DRC (and internationally). That “top operator” also has nearly two decades of exploration experience on the Western Foreland and has invested more than US$100 million in exploring unexplored geologic terrain. Ivanhoe Mines knows the geology of the Western Foreland better than any other company, given its history of exploration in the area. Accordingly, legal extensions and renewals of those licences per the DRC legal framework allow Ivanhoe Mines to continue to use that legal and exploration expertise in the search for the next Kamoa-Kakula – an outcome that would be hugely beneficial to the DRC government, the Congolese people, and all of Ivanhoe Mines’ stakeholders.
But the Sentry report frames the facts for the conclusion that it intends – if Ivanhoe Mines was awarded an exploration licence, it must be because of “high-level connections”. Sentry seems to not contemplate that Ivanhoe Mines was granted exploration licences by the DRC government because it applied legally and followed the regulatory process as prescribed by the mining code and was potentially given credit for its distinguished track record of exploration success globally. That track record means that it is the best candidate (both technically and financially) to explore for, and hopefully again find, another world-class copper deposit, like the neighbouring Kamoa-Kakula.
Instead, the Sentry report presents readers with a nearly impenetrable conspiracy theory-like web of legal transactions. Perhaps it hopes to convince readers that Ivanhoe Mines and the DRC government conspired and schemed to grant exploration or mining licences to Ivanhoe Mines because the alternative thesis – that Ivanhoe Mines is the most qualified candidate and mineral-title matters are legally complex affairs – would not support the conclusion that Sentry has predetermined.
Sentry’s activist approach to reporting on Ivanhoe Mines appears targeted, with the assumption being that activity in DRC must be the result of corrupt activities. Sentry then ignore, in this case, the qualification and experience of the applicant and the lawfulness of the process, to continue to hold its conclusion rather than considering that there are logical, rational and legal explanations for commercial events.
Ivanhoe Mines invites The Sentry to visit its operations and witness genuine partnership in the DRC first-hand
Ivanhoe Founder & Executive Co-Chair Robert Friedland commented: “Ivanhoe Mines invites the contributors of the Sentry report to Lualaba province, in the DRC to see how we conduct our business… how we empower our Congolese stakeholders… how we seek to minimize the environmental effects of our activities… how we foster and support local social development… how we encourage women into the mining industry at all levels… how we pay our taxes and royalties… and how we are reinventing mining.
The mining industry is changing. Its critics need to acknowledge that. Its critics also must recognize that while there is always improvement to be had, pre-judging the entire mining industry at every turn and making pre-determined conclusions before looking at the facts neutrally and dispassionately does nothing to improve the industry, but only serves to reduce the credibility of its critics.”
We encourage readers to review our annual sustainability and ESG reports, which can be found here:
https://ivanhoemines.com/investors/sustainability-report/
Ivanhoe Mines has also made statements in the past on these matters, and we encourage readers to review them again:
Ivanhoe Mines invites readers to review its responses provided to a series of questions from The Sentry, as well as from Mr. York of the Globe and Mail, received just ahead of publishing.
Responses to Globe and Mail: https://bit.ly/3BKqoXA
Responses to The Sentry: https://bit.ly/3W6TQPF
About Ivanhoe Mines
Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal projects in Southern Africa: the major new, mechanized, underground mines at the Kamoa-Kakula Mining Complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the development of the Platreef palladium-rhodium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold discovery in South Africa; and the restart of the historic Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Information contact
Vancouver: Matthew Keevil +1.604.558.1034
London: Tommy Horton +44 7866 913 207
Sentry 的报告以及《环球邮报》记者Geoffrey York 其后于 2022 年 12 月 15 日发表的报导，载述了关于艾芬豪矿业在刚果民主共和国 (以下简称“刚果(金)”) 业务以及其西部前沿 (Western Foreland) 勘查投资项目的断章取义的、选择性的和臆测性的内容。两份报导均不负责任地推断或臆测艾芬豪的西部前沿勘查项目涉及某种形式的不当行为，但并无任何确实证据以支持报告所指的不当行为。
Sentry报告试图以一连串的公司交易构成误导性的内容，使读者相信艾芬豪矿业涉及某种形式的企业渎职行为。Sentry 报告载有非正式用语，包括“似乎”和“可能性”，但同时表示报告“无法确实表明”某些事件的发生。
公司致力与跨国公司合作建立行业领先的业务，以造福股东、运营国家政府、员工和当地社区；而这些未经证实的“报告”或错误信息，对于加拿大上市公司构成了广泛的风险；同时也对于刚果(金)国家及人民造成了极大的伤害。近年来，外国直接投资以更负责任的方式推进刚果(金)的经济发展，在开发和生产全球经济发展所需的战略金属方面发挥了关键的作用。
《环球邮报》的文章包含臆测性的内容，显然没有对Sentry报告的内容进行审核，毫无根据地进一步放大了Sentry自相矛盾的报告。除了《环球邮报》外，暂时并无其它媒体提及过Sentry的报告。
《环球邮报》于12 月 15 日刊登的文章标题指出，加拿大联邦警察加拿大皇家骑警 (以下简称“RCMP”) 在艾芬豪矿业位于不列颠哥伦比亚省温哥华的办公室进行搜查，但文章并没有提供相关背景信息，同时却指出加拿大警方的搜查发生在一年多前，而艾芬豪矿业于 2022 年 3 月 30 日已公开披露。
Sentry的报告和《环球邮报》的文章都充斥着误导性的内容，选择性地披露部分事实，并夸大臆测性的情形，这不仅对于艾芬豪矿业的声誉造成损害，更严重地冲击其业务发展，对于在国际运营的加拿大上市公司产生负面的影响。
截至 2022 年 12 月 16 日的两个交易日期间，艾芬豪矿业的股价先大幅下跌，随后大幅反弹。艾芬豪矿业目前正研究《环球邮报》的报导对其股价的影响。
艾芬豪矿业按照国家和国际法律严格合规的开展业务，并根据法律要求与刚果(金)的股东建立合作关系。
艾芬豪矿业在本公开声明中，将对于某些事实作出澄清，并纠正Sentry在网上发布的部分报告内容及其后《环球邮报》的广泛报导对于刚果(金)矿业法的误解，以及提供该等报告遗漏的重要背景信息。
Sentry 和《环球邮报》的报道并非针对艾芬豪在刚果(金)的卡莫阿-卡库拉合资项目或基普什项目
艾芬豪矿业持有刚果(金)三大项目的权益：1) 与紫金矿业集团和刚果(金)合资的卡莫阿-卡库拉铜矿项目、2) 与刚果(金)国有企业杰卡明合资的基普什(Kipushi) 项目，以及3) 西部前沿勘查项目。
《环球邮报》的报道提及“刚果(金)的采矿项目”，即艾芬豪至今发展最迅速的旗舰项目卡莫阿-卡库拉铜矿。Sentry的报告则重点介绍艾芬豪的西部前沿勘查项目以及在刚果(金)寻找矿产资源的早期勘查工作。这可能会误导读者以为《环球邮报》的报道和Sentry的报告涵盖了艾芬豪矿业在刚果(金)的所有项目。
《环球邮报》的报道没有指出加拿大联邦警察RCMP于2021年获得的搜查令并不涉及卡莫阿-卡库拉项目或艾芬豪矿业的任何其它矿产项目。目前，艾芬豪矿业继续配合RCMP的调查，但由于调查仍在进行中，艾芬豪矿业不便在本公开声明中再作评述。艾芬豪矿业重申，公司或其任何董事、高级职员或员工都未有被起诉，也没有就此事作出任何财务拨备。
RCMP的搜查令涉及 Stucky有限公司 (以下简称“Stucky”)、Stucky Technologies 及刚果(金) 国有电力公司 Société Nationale d’Electricité (以下简称“SNEL”)。Stucky拥有160多年历史，现时所属Gruner AG集团 (https://www.gruner.ch/en/home) 旗下，Gruner AG是一家拥有百年历史的瑞士工程规划顾问公司，专门从事基础设施和能源业务。
自 2015 年起，艾芬豪矿业与紫金通过卡莫阿-卡库拉合资项目，为刚果(金)全国的发电和输电项目升级提供资助。Mwadingusha水电站的升级工程已于 2021 年骏工，预计英加二期水电站 5 号涡轮机组的升级改造工程将于 2024 年底完成。这两项电力设施共生产超过 250 兆瓦的清洁电力，直接供给刚果(金)的国家电网，为刚果(金)人民以及卡莫阿-卡库拉和基普什项目提供电力。
Mwadingusha 水电站的六台新涡轮机组自 2021 年 8 月开始产生78 兆瓦的清洁电力。 Mwadingusha 水电站产权由SNEL持有，升级改造工程由卡莫阿-卡库拉合资项目出资。
《环球邮报》的文章并没有为读者提供Mwadingusha升级工程的背景信息。Stucky (或Gruner集团) 历史悠久，成功为刚果(金) 超过1.5吉瓦的水力发电项目提供顾问服务。除了Mwadingusha水电站外，Stucky正为英加二期5号涡轮机组的修复和升级工程提供服务。Stucky 于 2013 年首次获世界银行委任，为英加二期水坝进行技术评估。然而，Stucky 参与刚果(金) 项目的历史可以追溯到 70 年前，当时Stucky设计的100 兆瓦Nzilo水坝于1950 年代初期开始运行。Stucky也是Nzilo二期的顾问工程师，预计Nzilo二期将于2025年实现商业化运营。
艾芬豪矿业及其合资伙伴紫金并未持有任何电力基础设施的产权，除了通过国家电网获得项目发展必须的电力供给以外，并没有从中获得任何利益。事实上，由于卡莫阿-卡库拉合资项目为 Mwadingusha水电站以及英加二期5号涡轮机组的升级工程提供资金，因而承担达3 亿美元以上的巨额成本。艾芬豪矿业的资金份额仅通过从刚果(金)国有电力公司 SNEL 获得部分电费折扣作为补偿，并将在贷款资金偿还后不再享受折扣。
卡莫阿-卡库拉除了为电力基础设施的升级工程出资以提升刚果(金)人民的生活水平外，还为当地人民提供长期职位，并向当地政府缴交税款。卡莫阿-卡库拉的历史虽然短暂，但已为刚果(金)创造了超过 12,000 个直接职位，其中约 95% 雇员为刚果(金)人民。
此外，卡莫阿-卡库拉还开设了一所世界级的培训中心，为员工及当地社区成员提供技术培训，使他们成为熟练和符合安全的采矿操作员，同时积极促进女性加入劳动队伍。
卡莫阿-卡库拉项目自 2021 年 5 月开始生产首批铜精矿，截至 2022 年 9 月 30 日已向刚果(金)政府缴纳超过5 亿美元的税费和权益金。随着项目分阶段扩建，预计该等税金认缴额将会继续增加。电力升级工程和相关的基础设施为刚果(金)带来了上述的利益。
Sentry 报告对于刚果(金)矿业法、采矿业和艾芬豪的西部前沿勘查项目存在根本性的误解
Sentry声称其组织为 “一个调查和政策组织，旨在打击通过暴力冲突、镇压和强权统治形式获取利益的跨国掠夺性网络”。这与艾芬豪矿业过去的勘查活动有何关连仍然不得而知，也不淸楚该组织对于矿产勘查、开发或刚果(金)作为采矿管辖区方面有何专业性认识。
Sentry 报告试图讲述艾芬豪在刚果(金)西部前沿勘查项目的所有权问题，并暗示艾芬豪矿业在刚果(金)的其它业务涉及不当行为。
艾芬豪矿业涵盖2,400平方公里的西部前沿勘查项目的早期勘查工作。
西部前沿勘查项目位于刚果(金)较偏远的地区，具有巨大的勘查前景，但目前仍在勘查阶段，矿权区道路、电力和通信等基础设施匮乏。虽然项目所在地雨季漫长，使矿产勘查更为艰难且成本昂贵，但这些偏远地区正是各国政府和行业需要加大矿产资源勘查的地方。
与现实情况相反，Sentry的报告误导读者相信西部前沿勘查项目是艾芬豪矿业不择手段、通过“高级别关系”获得探矿权的铜矿宝藏，暴露了Sentry报告对于勘查过程和艾芬豪矿业在刚果(金)的勘查活动存在根本性的误解。西部前沿勘查项目的价值仅在于艾芬豪矿业近 20 年来进行的勘查活动，对于该范围和地质构造所积累的知识。
艾芬豪矿业及其股东获得的并不是已有在产矿山的所有权，而是需要承担高风险，花费时间、精力和金钱以勘查可能存在也可能不存在的矿产资源。Sentry 报告遗漏了这基本的背景信息，以图使读者相信艾芬豪矿业通过不当方式获得一项高价值的矿业资产，违反事实的真相。
Sentry报告对于刚果(金)矿业法的立法框架以及授予矿产许可证的程序也存在根本性的误解。目前尚不清楚是否有在刚果(金)从事法律工作的合格人士或在该国具有经验的人士协助Sentry了解刚果(金)的矿业和公司法。艾芬豪矿业委任经验丰富、合资格的高管和当地法律顾问，确保充分理解并遵守刚果(金)的法律和矿业法。
例如，Sentry 似乎完全不知悉刚果(金)政府基于不可抗力分别两次延长了矿产许可证规定的持有期限，这当然也延长了西部前沿项目的权证期限。此外，Sentry未有披露，刚果(金)矿业法允许公司重新申请过期的权证。艾芬豪矿业曾根据此法律程序重新申请已过期的权证。
Sentry的报告以大量的法律术语，暗示系统存在一些不当“交易”，且定下结论声称 “…证据表明，当某些事件涉及大额资金，法律似乎不适用于具有高级别关系的顶级运营商。” 但事实上，法律在任何情形下都确切适用，揭露 了Sentry 对于刚果(金)的法律框架存在误解。
正如 Sentry 报告指出，艾芬豪矿业自 2003 年，即约20 年前已持有西部前沿范围的多个探矿权和采矿权证。虽然西部前沿矿权范围具有铜矿化的迹象，但至今尚未发现重要的矿产资源，也未有在产矿山，西部前沿广阔的勘查区域至今还未产生分毫的收入。
相反，艾芬豪矿业已投入超过 1 亿美元的资金在该范围修建道路和桥梁、开展钻探、物探、化探和其它勘查工作，并为刚果(金)人民创造了培训和就业机会。在过去20年，艾芬豪矿业一直承担高风险去寻找新的顶级资源，因而在西部前沿项目投入了大量的资金，至今财务纪录仍为亏损。
因此，Sentry 报告所指“涉及大额资金”的理据并不成立。唯一涉及的大额资金是艾芬豪矿业及其股东投入的风险资金，在巨厚的Kalahari砂层底下寻找矿产资源。在艾芬豪发现卡莫阿-卡库拉之前，根本没有其它公司愿意在该地区进行这些勘查活动。
Sentry将艾芬豪矿业称之为“顶级运营商" 是一个准确的描述。艾芬豪矿业在卡莫阿-卡库拉项目已完成勘查并发现了世界级的铜矿床，未来分阶段进行扩建，预计将成为全球第三大铜矿。艾芬豪矿业的勘查团队于2015年发现卡莫阿铜矿床，获加拿大勘探与开发者协会颁发著名的Thayer Lindsley奖项，团队的努力得到业界认可。这彰显了艾芬豪矿业在矿产勘查方面的经验和专业知识，并确切地说明了对“顶级运营商”的期望。
刚果(金)政府向该“顶级运营商”授予探矿权绝对是合乎逻辑和有利的，特别是西部前沿的探矿权毗邻该“顶级运营商”发现的世界级铜矿，而该运营商在勘查和开发工作方面拥有彪炳史册的出色业绩，并且在刚果(金)以至全球创造了大量的就业机会。该“顶级运营商” 在西部前沿已累积了近20年的勘查经验，并已投入超过 1 亿美元的资金用于勘查地质工作很浅的区域。艾芬豪矿业在该范围已进行多年的勘查工作，使其对于西部前沿的地质情况了如指掌。根据刚果(金)的法律框架，这些权证的合法延期和续期使艾芬豪矿业能够继续利用其法律和勘查知识来寻找下一个卡莫阿-卡库拉铜矿，将为刚果(金)政府和人民以及艾芬豪矿业的所有利益相关方带来巨大利益。
然而，Sentry 只选择报告部分事实以得出它想要的结论，假设艾芬豪矿业利用“高级别关系”获得探矿权，而没有考虑到刚果(金)政府向艾芬豪矿业授予探矿权，是因艾芬豪矿业按照矿业法规定的监管程序合法申请，以及它过往在全球勘查工作方面取得的卓越成就。艾芬豪矿业不论在技术和财务层面上也是最佳的勘查候选人，并希望发现下一个卡莫阿-卡库拉世界级铜矿。
相反，Sentry的报告塑造了一系列难以理解、涉及阴谋论的交易信息，让读者相信艾芬豪矿业和刚果(金)政府合谋使艾芬豪矿业获得探矿权或开采权证，因为另一理据 — 即艾芬豪矿业是最合资格的候选人且矿产所有权在法律上带有复杂性，并不支持Sentry报告臆测的结论。
Sentry对于艾芬豪矿业的激进报导似乎具有针对性，更假设所有刚果(金)的业务涉及腐败行为。报告忽视了申请人的资格和经验以及合法的申请程序，并坚持其假定的结论，而没有考虑到在商业社会上有逻辑性、合理性和合法性的解释。
艾芬豪矿业邀请Sentry组织参观矿山营运情况，亲眼见证刚果(金)的真正合作关系
艾芬豪創始人兼联席執行董事长罗伯特·弗里兰德 (Robert Friedland) 評論說﹕“艾芬豪矿业诚邀Sentry报告的撰稿人到访刚果(金)卢阿拉巴省，设身处地的了解我们如何开展业务、我们如何为刚果(金) 的利益相关方提供支持、致力减少我们的作业对于环境造成的影响、培养和支持当地的社会发展、鼓励女性参与各级的采矿工作、向刚果(金)国家缴纳税款和特许权，以及我们如何重塑采矿业。”
“采矿业的发展瞬息万变。进行批评时必须要明白到，虽然行业总有改善的空间，却不能预设偏见、以管窥天、一竿子打翻一船人；而是要采取中立的角度，冷静地进行分析，否则只会削弱批评者的公信力而对业界改进提升毫无裨益。”
我们鼓励读者参阅我们的年度可持续发展和ESG报告﹕
https://ivanhoemines.com/investors/sustainability-report/
艾芬豪矿业过去曾就有关事件发表声明，详情请查看﹕
艾芬豪矿业对于Sentry报告和《环球邮报》约克先生的文章刊登前收到一系列提问而作出的回应﹕
回应《环球邮报》的提问﹕https://bit.ly/3BKqoXA
回应Sentry的提问﹕https://bit.ly/3W6TQPF
关于艾芬豪矿业
艾芬豪矿业是一家加拿大的矿业公司，正在推进旗下位于南部非洲的三大主要项目：位于刚果民主共和国的卡莫阿 - 卡库拉铜矿项目新扩建的机械化井下矿山开发工程、位于南非的普拉特瑞夫 (Platreef) 钯 - 铑 - 铂 - 镍 - 铜 - 金矿的开拓工程；以及同样位于刚果民主共和国、久负盛名的基普什锌 - 铜 - 锗 - 银矿的重建工程。
联系方式
温哥华﹕马修·基维尔 (Matthew Keevil)，电话﹕+1.604.558.1034
伦敦﹕托米·霍顿 (Tommy Horton) ，电话﹕+44 7866 913 207