It’s believed to be the world’s second
largest copper reserve and it’s in Afghanistan.
Minister of Mines Wahidullah Sharani wants
money from mining here, and at other sites,
to be used to rebuild the country after 30
years of war.
‘When it comes to the sustainability of
our economic growth in the longer term, mining
seems to be the most potential area.’
The Afghan Minister puts the nation's mineral
wealth at more than three trillion dollars.
Russian geologists wanted to exploit the country’s
mineral wealth back in the eighties but the
primary obstacle to the extraction was a lack
of security, a problem that still faces the
industry today.
Now these sites are heavily guarded by Afghan
security forces.
They’re attracting many foreign investors
who are competing on bids for mining projects.
‘One of the top priorities of the Afghan
Government is to be sure that the revenues
coming from this huge reserve will create
revenues for the local communities.’
In 2007 the China Metallurgical Group Corporation
won a tender to mine copper at this site in
Aynak, southeast of Kabul.
‘In the future there will be more projects
like this one.
In each project creating the job as well as
training the local labour force to ensure
that most of the workers they will be from
the local communities.
That would be an integral part of any contract
or package.”
China is not the only country investing in
Afghanistan: India, Pakistan and Iran are
actively seeking mining exploration deals
offering enormous amounts of money that would
also pay for power plants and railroads to
connect Afghanistan with South and Central
Asia.
At Aynak, excavations have unearthed more
than minerals.
Archaeologists have discovered three Buddhist
monasteries dated from the 1st to the 7th
centuries.
It’s been described as the most significant
archaeological find in Afghanistan but a rich
vein of copper runs right underneath it, so
the artefacts will be relocated block by block
to a purpose-built museum nearby, and in the
future, they’ll be taken to the National
Museum in Kabul.
‘Today we are in a critical situation.
Both things are important for us: the economy
as well as our history.
We are trying to deliver those sculpture that
are endangered by the explosions in the nearby
mining area.’
In theory, the growth of the mining industry
should inject millions into the crippled Afghan
economy but there have been many allegations
of corruption regarding the awarding of contracts.
The Minister says he’s improving transparency
by closing a number of bank accounts and publishing
all financial details online.
These are big challenges, but if they can
be met mining will help lead Afghanistan into
a far more prosperous future.
Alessandro Pavone in Aynak, Afghanistan for
the NATO Channel
