Rwanda’s Ambassador Highlights Indonesia’s Mining Innovations as Model for Africa

JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS- Rwanda’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Sheikh Abdul Karim Harelimana, expressed a keen interest in learning from Indonesia’s approach to managing its mining sector

Ambassador Harelimana acknowledged the challenges faced in mining and praised Indonesia for its efforts to address these issues effectively.

“There are challenges, and Indonesia, in my view, is learning how to address them in ways that Rwanda could benefit from,” he stated.

He highlighted that Indonesia’s rich natural resources include valuable minerals such as gold, nickel, copper, and coal. Similar resources are also found in Rwanda and other African countries.

However, he noted that Indonesia has chosen to process its minerals domestically, rather than exporting raw materials.

“Indonesia made a strategic decision to process its minerals within the country,” he said.

“This approach is beneficial because selling raw materials could lead to significant losses. By processing these materials domestically, Indonesia not only extracts valuable minerals but also creates additional products from what would otherwise be considered residue.”

He commended Indonesia’s decision as a prudent one and expressed hope that Rwanda and other African nations could adopt similar strategies.

“I understand Indonesia faces various pressures, but with resolute policymakers, continuing to do what is right for the people is crucial. This is what Indonesia is doing,” he added.

Ambassador Harelimana expressed optimism that African countries could learn from Indonesia’s practices to improve their own mining sectors. (Uki Ruknuddin)