Heineken Transfers Brewery in Eastern Congo to Mauritian Firm

KINSHASA (Reuters) -Heineken has agreed to transfer its brewery in Bukavu, the second largest city in war-hit eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, to a Mauritian company for 1 euro, the Dutch brewer said in a statement on Wednesday, after losing operational control of the facility earlier this year.

The handover of the brewery to Synergy Ventures Holdings Ltd is expected to be completed by the end of the year, the statement said. 

The decision was "driven by a humanitarian objective to safeguard jobs and livelihoods, maintain vital community services and prevent misuse of the facility in a volatile security environment," it said. 

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels staged a lightning advance in eastern Congo this year, seizing the region's largest city Goma in January, followed by Bukavu in February. The fighting has killed thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands more.

Rwanda has long denied helping M23 and says its forces act in self-defence.

The U.S., Qatar and African mediators are trying to broker a peace deal that would attract Western investments to the region, especially its minerals sector.

In June, Heineken said armed personnel had taken control of its facilities in Bukavu and elsewhere in the region. The company had previously said the Bukavu facilities employed around 1,000 people both directly and indirectly.

Synergy Ventures will assume full responsibility for operations, employee safety and tax obligations, according to the statement on Wednesday.

Heineken retains a buyback option that is good for three years "if conditions allow for viable operations", the statement said.

Heineken's Congo unit, Bralima, still operates in other parts of the country not affected by the conflict.

($1 = 0.8639 euros)

(Reporting by Ange Adihe KasongoWriting by Ayen Deng BiorEditing by Robbie Corey-Boulet and Frances Kerry)