Barrick faces new lawsuit for alleged rights abuses in Tanzania
Staff Writer | November 23, 2022 |
North Mara, Buzwagi (pictured) and Bulyanhulu mines are now owned 84% by Barrick and 16% by the Tanzania government. (Image courtesy of Acacia Mining.)
Twenty-one Tanzanian nationals filed a lawsuit in Ontario Supreme Court Wednesday morning against Barrick Gold (TSE: ABX) for alleged human rights violations at the company’s North Mara gold mine in Tanzania.
It is the first time the Canadian gold giant has faced legal action in its home country for alleged abuses abroad, but it has faced prior allegations in the UK.
In 2020, a group of eight Tanzanians filed a legal claim at the British High Court against a subsidiary of Barrick Gold, alleging human rights abuses by security forces at North Mara mine.
The claimants were assisted by two non-profit organizations, RAID and Miningwatch Canada, and were represented by British law firm Hugh James.
“The action by the plaintiffs, who are members of the Indigenous Kurya community amongst whose villages in northern Tanzania the mine has been built, concerns brutal killings, shootings and torture that they allege were committed by police engaged to guard the mine, who local residents refer to as ‘mine police’,” RAID said regarding the new suit in a press release on Wednesday.
They are represented by the law firms Camp Fiorante Matthews Mogerman LLP and Waddell Phillips. Filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the case includes claims for five deaths, five incidents of torture, and a further five injuries from shootings by the ‘mine police’, RAID reported.
This is the third lawsuit against Barrick subsidiaries for deaths and injuries at the North Mara mine. The first, commenced in 2013, was settled in 2015 by Acacia Mining.
As of 2pm EST Wednesday, Barrick had not issued a statement.
Ottawa is growing increasingly concerned about how Canadian miners do business abroad. Earlier this week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked Chile’s President Gabriel Boric to provide information on how much Canadian miners are complying with the South American nation’s environmental legislation.
Staff Writer | November 23, 2022 |
North Mara, Buzwagi (pictured) and Bulyanhulu mines are now owned 84% by Barrick and 16% by the Tanzania government. (Image courtesy of Acacia Mining.)
Twenty-one Tanzanian nationals filed a lawsuit in Ontario Supreme Court Wednesday morning against Barrick Gold (TSE: ABX) for alleged human rights violations at the company’s North Mara gold mine in Tanzania.
It is the first time the Canadian gold giant has faced legal action in its home country for alleged abuses abroad, but it has faced prior allegations in the UK.
In 2020, a group of eight Tanzanians filed a legal claim at the British High Court against a subsidiary of Barrick Gold, alleging human rights abuses by security forces at North Mara mine.
The claimants were assisted by two non-profit organizations, RAID and Miningwatch Canada, and were represented by British law firm Hugh James.
“The action by the plaintiffs, who are members of the Indigenous Kurya community amongst whose villages in northern Tanzania the mine has been built, concerns brutal killings, shootings and torture that they allege were committed by police engaged to guard the mine, who local residents refer to as ‘mine police’,” RAID said regarding the new suit in a press release on Wednesday.
They are represented by the law firms Camp Fiorante Matthews Mogerman LLP and Waddell Phillips. Filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the case includes claims for five deaths, five incidents of torture, and a further five injuries from shootings by the ‘mine police’, RAID reported.
This is the third lawsuit against Barrick subsidiaries for deaths and injuries at the North Mara mine. The first, commenced in 2013, was settled in 2015 by Acacia Mining.
As of 2pm EST Wednesday, Barrick had not issued a statement.
Ottawa is growing increasingly concerned about how Canadian miners do business abroad. Earlier this week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked Chile’s President Gabriel Boric to provide information on how much Canadian miners are complying with the South American nation’s environmental legislation.
Tanzania villagers sue Barrick Gold over rights abuses
November 25, 2022 Jurist
A group of Tanzanian villagers on Nov. 23 filed legal action with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice against Canadian mining company Barrick Gold over human rights violations at its North Mara Gold Mine. It marks the first time that the mining company has faced legal action in Canada for rights violations abroad. The plaintiffs, members of the indigenous Kurya community in northern Tanzania, allege that special “mine police” assigned by the security forces to protect the facility use extreme violence against local residents. The mine has been the site of repeated protests over environmental degradation and forced displacement of villagers. The legal action includes claims for five deaths, five incidents of torture and five injuries from shootings.
“The North Mara mine is notorious for violence against the Kurya people who lived on, farmed and mined the land on which Barrick’s mine has been built,” corporate watchdog Rights & Accountability in Development (RAID) said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. Barrick Gold has claimed in previous statements about violence at the North Mara site that it “does not manage or control an independent police force.” Barrick has not publicly commented on the new legal action.
From Jurist, Nov. 24. Used with permission.
See our last reports on the the North Mara Mine and the crimes of Barrick Gold.
Map via Semantic Scholar
November 25, 2022 Jurist
A group of Tanzanian villagers on Nov. 23 filed legal action with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice against Canadian mining company Barrick Gold over human rights violations at its North Mara Gold Mine. It marks the first time that the mining company has faced legal action in Canada for rights violations abroad. The plaintiffs, members of the indigenous Kurya community in northern Tanzania, allege that special “mine police” assigned by the security forces to protect the facility use extreme violence against local residents. The mine has been the site of repeated protests over environmental degradation and forced displacement of villagers. The legal action includes claims for five deaths, five incidents of torture and five injuries from shootings.
“The North Mara mine is notorious for violence against the Kurya people who lived on, farmed and mined the land on which Barrick’s mine has been built,” corporate watchdog Rights & Accountability in Development (RAID) said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. Barrick Gold has claimed in previous statements about violence at the North Mara site that it “does not manage or control an independent police force.” Barrick has not publicly commented on the new legal action.
From Jurist, Nov. 24. Used with permission.
See our last reports on the the North Mara Mine and the crimes of Barrick Gold.
Map via Semantic Scholar
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