Union minière du-Haut-Katanga

The Union Minière du Haut-Katanga (French; "Mining Union of Upper Katanga"), often abbreviated to Union Minière or UMHK, was a Belgian mining company which operated in the former Congo Free State and Belgian Congo between 1906 and 1966.

Created in 1906, under the urging of Leopold II, the company was set up by Société Générale de Belgique, Comite Special du Katanga (formed in 1900 by Compagnie du Katanga and the Congo Free State to exploit Katanga's mineral wealth), and Tanganyika Concessions Ltd. Union Minière was granted a 7,700 square mile concession in Katanga, allowing it to mine uranium, copper, cobalt, radium, zinc, cadmium, germanium, manganese, silver, gold, and tin. By the start of WWII, Société Générale de Belgique' controlled 70% of the Congolese economy. Exercising preponderant influence over the Comité spécial, the Société Générale effectively controlled the Union Minière from its inception to 1960. Some of the remains of the UMHK form part of the present day company Umicore.

Cheap copper has no terrors for the great Mid-African mines of the Union Minière du Haut Katanga, world's biggest producer... Elements in Katanga's strength are: tremendously rich ores; cheap native labor; big production of cobalt and radium (over 82%, of world radium supply) on the side; and, most recent, the newly opened Benguela Railway, which connects Katanga with the Atlantic, saves hundreds of rail miles, thousands of nautical miles for Katanga copper on its long journey to European markets.

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