U Rwanda rwagaragaje icyuho mu mategeko agenga ubucukuzi bwa’amabuye hadakoreshejwe merikire

I Kigali habaye nama yahuje inzego zitandukanye zigamije ku rebera hamwe uburyo bwo kurwanya umwanda uterwa na Merikire (Mercury) zasabye ko u Rwanda rwakomeza gukaza amategeko n’ingamba zo gukumira uyu mwanda uterwa na Merikire, kugira ngo intambwe rumaze gutera mu bucukuzi bwa zahabu budakoresha Merikire budasubira inyuma.

Ibi byagarutsweho ku wa 8 Nzeri 2026, mu nama yiswe National Multi-Stakeholder Policy Workshop on Strengthening the Minamata Convention: Advancing Mercury-Free Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining and Supporting Global Mercury Treaty Amendments, yateguwe na ARECO-RWANDA NZIZA ku bufatanye na International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN).

Ibyo byagarutsweho mu nama yu munsi umwe yari ifiti insangamatsiko igira iti: “National Multi-Stakeholder Poloicy Workshop on Strengthening the Minamata Convention: Advancing Mercury-Free Artisanal anda Small-Scale Gold Mining and Supporting Global Mercury Treaty Amandements, yateranye ku itariki ya 8 Nzeri 2026, iteguwe na ARECO-RWANDA NZIZA ku bufatanye na International Pollutants Elimininationa network (IPEN).

Iyi nama yahuje abahagarariye inzego za Leta, imiryango itari iya Leta, abakora mu bucukuzi, inzego z’ubuzima, abashakashatsi, abafatanyabikorwa ndetse n’abanyamakuru.

Mu ijambo ry’ikaze, Vice President wa ARECO-RWANDA NZIZA, Balthazar Twagilimana, yavuze ko merikire ikomeje kuba kimwe mu bihumanya bikomeye ubuzima bwa muntu n’ibidukikije ku isi, cyane cyane mu bucukuzi buto n’ubuciriritse bwa zahabu.

Yavuze ko u Rwanda rumaze gutera imbwe ikomeye, ugereranyije n’ibibazo biri ku rwego mpuzamahanga byatewe na merikire, cyane ko ubushakashatsi bwakozwe ku rwego rwa National Action Plan mu 2023, bwagaragaje  ko merikire itagikoreshwa cyane mu bucukuzi bwa zahabu.

Dukurikije ibyavugiwe muri iyi nama, byerekana ko bishoboka ko zahabu yatunganywa hatifashishijwe Merikire kandi bikaba byatanga umusaururo ufatika.

Nubwo u Rwanda rumaze gutera iyi ntambwe, Balthazar yagaragaje ko hakiri icyuho gikomeye mu mategeko.

Yavuze ko nta ngingo yihariye ishobora kubuza abatumiza n’abakoresha ibikoresho by’ibanze bya merikire (Elemental Mercury), nubwo bimeze gutyo u Rwanda rufite amategeko agenga imiti, imyanda, n’ibindi bintu bishobora kwagiza ubuzima n’ibidukikije.Iki cyuho, nk’uko yabisobanuye, gishobora gutuma u Rwanda ruba mu byago byo kubona mercury yinjira mu gihugu mu buryo butemewe, cyane cyane kubera ko mu karere hari ibihugu aho mercury igikomeza gukoreshwa mu bucukuzi bwa zahabu.

Balthazar yavuze ko ubucuruzi butemewe bwa merikire n’ubucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro mu karere bitagomba gufatwa nk’ikibazo cy’ibindi bihugu gusa, kuko bishobora kugira ingaruka ku byo u Rwanda rumaze kugeraho.

Yabajije ati: “Ni zihe ngamba twafata kugira ngo ubucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro bukorwa ku rwego ruto mu Rwanda bwakomeza gukorwa butarimo ikoreshwa eya merikire, haba uyu munsi ndetse no mu gihe kizaza?”

Uwari uhagaririye REMA muri iy’inama NGIRABAKUNZI Octavien, yagaragaje ko imyanda irimo merikire ari uburozi bushobora kugira ingaruka zikomeye ku buzima bwa muntu no ku bidukikije.

Yasobanuye ko merikire ishobora kwangiza ubwonko, impyiko, ibihaha n’imikorere y’imyakura, ndetse igatera ibibazo by’imikurire n’imikorere y’ubwonko.

Ku bidukikije, merikire ishobora kwanduza ubutaka, amazi n’umwuka, bityo ukaba wakinjira mu binyabuzima byo mu mazi ndetse no mu ruhererekane rw’ibiribwa.

Octavien yavuze kandi ko merikire ishobora guhinduka imikorere y’ubwonko (methylmercury) iyo igeze mu mazi, ikaba ishobora kwiyongera mu binyabuzima byo mu mazi ndetse ikagenda yiyongera mu ruhererekane rw’ibiribwa.

U Rwanda rufite gahunda yo kugabanya mercury

U Rwanda rwemeye Minamata Convention on Mercury mu 2017, ni amasezerano mpuzamahanga agamije kurinda abantu n’ibidukikije ingaruka ziterwa na merikire.

Mu rwego rwo kubahiriza aya masezerano, u Rwanda rwateguye National Action Plan (NAP) y’ubucukuzi buto n’ubuciriritse bwa zahabu mu 2023.

Iyo gahunda yibanda ku kugabanya ikoreshwa rya merikire, guteza imbere ikoranabuhanga ridakoresha merikire, guteza imbere ubucukuzi bukorwa mu buryo bwemewe n’amategeko, kurinda ubuzima bw’abacukuzi no gukomeza kugenzura abakora ubwo bucukuzi.

Mu bikubiye muri Minamata Convention harimo kuvanaho uburyo bwo kuvanga merikire n’amabuye yose acukuwe, gukumira gutwika amalgam ya merikire ahantu hatemewe no guteza imbere uburyo bwo gutunganya zahabu budakoresha merikire.

Hari amategeko asanzweho?

Octavien yagaragaje kandi ko u Rwanda rufite amategeko n’amabwiriza atandukanye agenga ikoreshwa ry’imiti, no kurengera ibidukikije, ubucukuzi n’umutekano mu kazi.

Octavien kandi yagarutse ku itegeko riregera ibidukikije N°48/2018 of 13/08/2018, cyane cyane ingingo zijyanye n’ibikorwa bitemewe birimo imiti n’imyanda ishobora kugira uburozi cyagwa kwangiza ubuzima n’ibidukikije.

Yagarutse kandi ku itegeko rya Minisiri No. 003/2021, rigenga urutonde rw’imioti n’ibindi bintu bishobora kwangiza ko bitagomba gukoreshwa mu Rwanda, harimo uduce twa merikire (mercury compounds).

Mu rwego rw’ubucukuzi, yagaragaje itegeko No.072/2024 ryo ku ya 20 Kamena 2024 rigenga imirimo y’ubucukuzi bwa mine n’ibikorwa bya kariyeri, harimo ibisabwa bijyanye no kurengera ibidukikije.

Hari kandi ibipimo ngenderwaho bigamije kurengera ubuzima n’umutekano mu bikorwa by’ubucukuzi, birimo RS 117-2:2024, igena ibisabwa rusange mu bijyanye n’ubuzima n’umutekano mu bucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro n’ubw’amabuye acukurwa mu birombe.

Presentation ya REMA yagaragaje ko ibibazo biri mu micungire ya mercury bitagarukira ku mategeko gusa.

Ibisobanuro byatanzwe n’uwri uhagarariye REMA muri iyi nama Octavien, byagaragaje ko ibibazo bijyanye no gucunga no gukoresha merikire bidaterwa no kudakaza ibihano gusa, ahubwo ko hari n’izindi mbogamizi zigomba gukemurwa.

Haracyari ubushobozi buke bwo kugenzura merikire mu mazi, ubutaka, imyanda n’umwuka, bityo hakaba hakenewe makuru ahagije ku bikorwa by’ubucukuzi buto n’ubuciriritse bwa zahabu n’ingano ya merikire ishobora gukoreshwa.

Kandi hanagaragaye imbogamizi z’ubushobozi bw’abacukuzi bato bwo kubona ikoranabuhanga ridakoresha merikire, ibyo bikaba biterwa n’ubushobozi buke bw’imari.

Hari bamwe mu bacukuzi bacyakeneye kongererwa ubumenyi n’ubushobozi bwa tekiniki kugira ngo bakoreshe uburyo butarimo mercury mu gutunganya zahabu.

Mu bijyanye n’ubuzima, hakenewe bugenzuzi bw’abacukuzi n’abaturage baba hafi y’ahakorerwa ubucukuzi bahura n’ingaruka za merikire.

ARECO: Hakenewe kurinda ibyo u Rwanda rumaze kugeraho

Balthazar Twagilimana yavuze ko kurwanya merikire bitagomba gutuma abantu bibagirwa ibindi bibazo biri mu bucukuzi bwa zahabu.

Yagaragaje ibibazo birimo umutekano mu birombe, ubuzima n’umutekano ku kazi, umwanda, umukungugu urimo silica ndetse no kutagira ibikoresho bihagije birinda abacukuzi.

Yashimangiye ko icy’ingenzi ari ugukomeza kurinda intambwe u Rwanda rumaze gutera mu bucukuzi bwa zahabu budakoresha merikire.

Ati: “Ubu ishingano dufite ni ukurinda intambwe tumaze kugeraho, gukemura ibibazo bikigaragara, no kureba ubuwyo igihugi kitazacika intege ngo cyisange cyogeye gukoresha merikire mu bihe biri imbere.”

Harasabwa ingamba mpuzamahanga zikomeye

Iyi nama kandi yaganiriye ku byifuzo byatanzwe na IPEN ndetse n’Umwanditsi wihariye w’Umuryango w’Abibumbye ushinzwe uburenganzira bwa muntu n’ibintu by’uburozi.

Muri ibyo byifuzo harimo guhagarika ubucuruzi mpuzamahanga bwa merikire, usibye ibikorwa byo kuyibika no kuyijugunya mu buryo butabangamira ibidukikije.

Hari kandi igitekerezo cy’uko mu 2032 uzaba ari umwaka ntarengwa wo guhagarika ku buryo bwemewe n’amategeko ikoreshwa rya merikire mu bucukuzi buto n’ubuciriritse bwa zahabu ku rwego mpuzamahanga.

Abitabiriye inama basabwe gutanga umusanzu mu biganiro, u Rwanda rugashingira ku bunararibonye rumaze kugira mu gukoresha uburyo bwo gutunganya zahabu budakoresha merilire.

Abateguye inama bavuga ko ibyavuye mu biganiro bigomba gufasha mu gutegura ibyifuzo byafasha u Rwanda gukomeza kugira ubucukuzi bwa zahabu butarimo merikire, ndetse no kugira uruhare mu biganiro byo gukaza Minamata Convention.