THE Democratic Republic of Congo says a prolonged civil war had scared off nearly $1-billion in foreign mining investment from the mineral-rich nation, but a new mining code should lure investors back. Mines Minister Frederic Kibassa Maliba told investors at a mining conference he is confident that a three-day show in Kinshasa next week will yield fruit. The Congolese skipped last year’s conference due to the rebellion against President Laurent Kabila, which began in August 1998 and has stalled efforts to revive Congo’s once-mighty mining industry.