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Belgian gold dealer Alain Goetz was sanctioned by the EU and by extension his home country in December 2022 for trade in smuggled gold from DRC. He was also sanctioned by the US in 2021. Though sanctions largely targeted Goetz, he tells The Africa Report in an exclusive interview that they will affect countries and communities whose livelihood depend on the trade.
Goetz argues that he was targeted because he was transparent. He was a gold trader with a known office, company and address, a rarity in the industry, hence an easy target for NGOs and journalists. Goetz says no gold dealer in the region will want to be as transparent as he was for fear of being targeted.