Category Archives: Uncategorized

Fifteen organisations condemn the lawsuits brought by ENRC against the Financial Times, HarperCollins, and journalist Tom Burgis in UK

The undersigned organisations express their serious concern at the legal proceedings that have been filed in a UK court against journalist and author Tom Burgis, his publisher HarperCollins, and his employer the Financial Times (FT). Two lawsuits have been filed by Kazakh multinational mining company, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC), for what it claims are a series of “untrue” and “highly damaging” allegations made by the defendants about the company.

DR Congo: Rectify failure to compensate Kilwa massacre victims

President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) should urgently rectify the human rights failures of the previous government and implement the decision of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights regarding the victims of serious human rights violations in Kilwa, south-eastern DRC, three international and Congolese human rights groups who initiated the complaint said today.

Petra Diamonds bows to pressure on human rights abuses at Tanzanian mine

UK-listed company, Petra Diamonds, today bowed to pressure and agreed to settle the claims of 71 Tanzanian nationals who suffered human rights abuses at its Williamson Mine in Tanzania, paying a total of £4.3 million in a wide-ranging compensation package. It follows years of efforts by local residents and activists to end the abusive practices. A further 25 claims are being investigated as part of the settlement, which could increase the total payout.

Guards at Petra Diamonds’ Tanzanian mine deliberately modified ammunition to inflict greater damage

Zenith Security guards replaced rubber projectiles with metal shot before turning their shotguns on those caught on the diamond concession (25 March 2021, London) – Zenith Security guards employed at Petra Diamonds’ Williamson Mine in Tanzania deliberately swapped rubber projectiles with metal shot in their weapons, causing serious harm to local residents shot on the company’s

The LBMA’s responsible gold sourcing programme lacks credibility

Five human rights groups write to LBMA’s CEO raising concerns Over the past year RAID has repeatedly raised concerns with the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) regarding weaknesses in its Responsible Sourcing Programme. Today we write to the LBMA’s CEO, Ruth Crowell, with five leading Swiss and British human rights groups, questioning the credibility of

New Shootings and Assaults at Petra Diamonds’ Williamson Mine in Tanzania

Petra Diamonds’ reporting about the recent assaults is both necessary and welcome. The company’s briefing does however confirm that force continues to be used against artisanal miners with alarming frequency and that the steps the company has taken to date have not yet been effective in addressing the serious human rights concerns.