| Thousands raid Barrick's North Mara mine, destroy $15 million in equipment by Sakura Saunders, protestbarrick.net editor December 14th, 2008 |
Why would "criminals" set fire to millions worth in mine equipment?
In what appears to be a spontaneous civilian movement against Barrick Gold, the world's largest gold miner, thousands of people invaded Barrick`s
North Mara Gold Mine this week in Tarime District and destroyed equipment worth $15 million. According to a Barrick Public Relations officer (as reported by the Tanzanian Guardian newspaper), "the intruders stoned the security personnel relentlessly until they
overpowered them. The guards abandoned their posts and retreated to
safety."
While Barrick implies that "high levels of crime" are the cause of this recent outbreak, recent reports suggest a different picture. Allan Cedillos Lissner, a photojournalist who recently documented mine life near the North Mara mine, explains: "Ongoing conflict between the mine
and local communities have created a climate of fear for those who live
nearby. Since the mine opened in 2002, the Mwita family say that they
live in a state of constant anxiety because they have been repeatedly
harassed and intimidated by the mine's private security forces and by
government police. There have been several deadly confrontations in
the area and every time there are problems at the mine, the Mwita
family say their compound is the first place the police come looking.
During police operations the family scatters in fear to hide in the
bush, "like fugitives," for weeks at a time waiting for the situation
to calm down. They used to farm and raise livestock, "but now there are
no pastures because the mine has almost taken the whole land ... we
have no sources of income and we are living only through God's wishes.
... We had never experienced poverty before the mine came here." They
say they would like to be relocated, but the application process has
been complicated, and they feel the amount of compensation they have
been offered is "candy." Allan also recalls hearing stories of violent confrontation against the company. "One journalist in the North Mara area told me a story about a Barrick helicopter being struck down by a group of kids who threw rocks at it." One thing is sure, these reports of hundreds attacking mine infrastructure � a move that allegedly took the life
of one villager � reflects a resentment that goes beyond mere criminal
action. And this surge in violence should be examined in the context of
the on-going exploitation and repressive environment surrounding the
mine. for context, read:
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