Banro, Congolese officials and community leaders celebrate at Twangiza gold mine ground breaking

Banro Corporation ("Banro" or the "Company") (NYSE AMEX - "BAA"; TSX - "BAA") reports that on September 27, 2010 the Company, together with DRC government leaders, South Kivu provincial government officials and local community leaders, celebrated construction of the Company's Twangiza gold mine with a ground breaking ceremony at the plant site. The Company's wholly-owned gold plant is scheduled to begin production in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Among the honoured guests at the ceremony were the DRC Deputy Prime Minister, who attended both as the personal representative of the President of the DRC and in his capacity of Minister of Interior and Security, the Minister of Mines, the Minister of Infrastructure, the Minister of Agriculture and the head of the DRC Mining Cadastral. The South Kivu provincial delegation was led by the Governor, the Deputy Governor, the President of the South Kivu Parliamentary Assembly and several provincial cabinet ministers. The Luhwindja community was represented by the Chief and Chef de Poste.

Banro Chairman Simon Village, Executive Vice President Arnold Kondrat and Project and Plant Manager Gary Chapman represented the Company.

In their respective speeches, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Governor of South Kivu pledged their governments' continued support for Banro and its development activities and congratulated the Company for its ongoing contributions to community development. Mr. Village spoke of the role which Twangiza's success could play in attracting additional foreign investment to South Kivu to foster development of future gold projects along the belt as well as the region's infrastructure and hydroelectric potential, thereby accelerating job creation and promoting sustainable long-term regional economic development.

The ceremony was capped by a tour of the Cinjara resettlement village and the new primary school and church which have been built for the villagers. This was followed by a community ceremony at the town of Luhwindja, which was attended by over two thousand people.

This article was originally posted on Africa Oil & Mining Network