Heineken has lost operational control of its facilities in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo amid escalating violence in the region.
The brewer confirmed on Friday (20 June) that armed groups have taken control of its sites in Bukavu (below), Goma and surrounding areas, forcing operations to cease as of 12 June. Heineken said conditions no longer permit safe and responsible operations in the affected areas.
All remaining employees have been withdrawn from the sites and continue to receive financial support. Heineken added it is closely monitoring the situation and exploring its options as events unfold, while the company’s “top priority” remains the safety of its workforce.
The impacted facilities are operated by Bralima, Heineken’s local subsidiary, which suspended operations in the region earlier this year. The disruption initially occurred in February when looting by civilians, militias and military groups caused damage to depots and breweries, including the theft of stock and destruction of equipment.
While operations in eastern DRC remain on hold indefinitely, Bralima continues to operate in other parts of the country not affected by the conflict. The Bukavu facilities employed around 1,000 people directly and indirectly, Heineken had said previously.
Earlier this month, Heineken allocated US$2.75bn for a number of expansion projects across Mexico, including the construction of a new brewery in the country.
