AngloGold Ashanti: construction starts in Ituri district, ignoring local population

This report is part of our former “Harmful Cases” documentation, where we continuously and concisely recorded human rights violations, violations of international law or environmental destruction caused by companies.

Human Rights Violations in the DRC

AngloGold Ashanti is developing a goldmine in the Ituri district of the DRC. Issues of potential environmental impacts, social conflict, lacking community consent, displacement and corporate accountability exist.

Despite years of dialogue, AngloGold Ashanti is still not responding to the community’s key demands, or being transparent about their plans for the project. Also, failure by the company to bring about social benefits has fuelled distrust among locals.

But locals start fighting for their land. In spring 2012, in two separate incidents, guards from AngloGold Ashanti have been attacked by men armed with machetes. Therefore, the mining company urgently needs to show more transparency, negotiate with the residents and invest more in communities, otherwise violent tensions will rise.

AngloGold Ashanti has been present in the Ituri district since 2004 but insecurity has hampered its work until now. The Ituri mine sits on one of the richest gold fields in Africa and is one of two projects the company runs in the DRC.

More information:

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