At least 164 people across the globe were killed in 2018 while seeking to protect their land, water and other environmental rights, according to a Global Witness report released this week. That works out to more than three people each week, with the greatest losses in the Philippines and the…
Environmental defenders in mining areas of South Africa face harassment, intimidation, and violence, according to a joint report issued Tuesday by four advocacy organizations including Human Rights Watch. “The attacks and harassment have created an atmosphere of fear for community members who mobilize to raise concerns about damage to their livelihoods from…
The bauxite industry in Guinea may be boosting the economy, but the damage caused by mining – and the impact on land ownership for Guineans – is a threat to their future. That’s according to a report released Thursday by Human Rights Watch, which looks at two mining operations: the…
Protesters took to the streets again Sunday night in Tunisia, where the disputed outcome of a football match has sparked three straight nights of demonstrations. The crowds in Gafsa, a troubled Tunisian crossroads city about 200 kilometers inland from Sfax, blocked streets and burned tires to protest a referee decision…
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday disputed the charge that a Chinese mining company operating in Mozambique has violated environmental laws and harmed the lives of villagers in Nagonha, a coastal town east of Nampula City near the Haiyu corporation’s operations. “I want to point out that this organization…
Dangerously high levels of mercury and a related toxin are pervasive in rivers and soils near artisanal gold mines in Senegal, according to a new study from Duke University. “Nearly every sample we collected from in and around four mining villages contained mercury concentrations higher than regulatory standards set by…
In Morocco, independent filmmaker Nadir Bouhmouch is making a documentary on what is the country’s longest protest – now in its seventh year. The people of Imider and its seven villages set up camp on Mount Alebban in August 2011 in order to protect their water resources. Their homes are…
A mining company in the South Kordofan region of Sudan has halted operations after two attacks on company workplaces within the space of a week. The attacks on Leha Mining Company at its Baloula site led to a total shutdown, Radio Dabanga said. There were no casualties reported in either…
At least one person has died and there are reports of 20 injured following a new round of riots in the Guinean mining town of Boke on Wednesday. This week’s street protests escalated as residents blocked access to mine workers headed for their jobs, and then attacked a police post…
News outlets based in the United States say they have confirmed the authenticity of a letter from the Somali government, appealing for U.S. military assistance to stop a resurgent al-Shabaab from mining uranium and passing it on to Iran. Both the Fox News network and Voice of America (VOA) say…
Ghana’s heightened struggle with illegal gold mining has claimed another victim, this time in the lynching incident at Denkyira-Obuasi, according to a family member of Capt. Maxwell Adam Mahama. Mahama, the soldier who was killed in the town by an angry mob on Monday, reportedly was assigned to the region…
The Ghana Armed Forces, in response to recent media reports, denies that its soldiers are involved in the country’s illegal mining operations or providing security and assistance to those who are. In a statement issued Tuesday, GAF spokesman Col. Eric Aggrey-Quarshie challenged information that surfaced last week during a panel…
The mines in Botswana will be the first in Africa to adopt a Canadian model of sustainability that requires members to continuously assess their mining practices and report them to the community. The Towards Sustainable Mining® (TSM) initiative looks at six core areas – including greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity conservation and community…
The European Union has signed a €65 million grant to support the expansion of electricity access to some 300,000 people in Zambia. The agreement, signed Thursday in Brussels, targets the funding toward infrastructure serving heavily populated low-income areas of Lusaka, the EU said in a press release. “The rehabilitation of…
Under tight security, Somalia welcomes IGAD summit leaders Streets and markets in Mogadishu were closed Tuesday, as regional heads of state arrived at the Peace Hotel for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) summit in the Somali capital. Security forces remained vigilant as Somalia, for the first time since IGAD…