London Mining Network » AngloGold Ashanti

Responsible Jewellery’s scope to include platinum

Richard — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 09:59:42 +0000

The London-based Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), a not-for-profit organization that certifies businesses within the diamond and gold jewelry supply chains, has expanded the scope of its certification system to include the platinum group metals. RJC, which includes 230 member companies, promotes responsible ethical, human rights, social and environmental practices throughout the jewelry industry from mine to retail, with a goal of making the business practices of companies all along the pipeline transparent and accountable.

[The RJC's council includes representatives of Rio Tinto and AngloGold Ashanti. Some readers may find it hard to associate the names of these companies with the term 'responsible'.]

See http://www.nationaljewelernetwork.com/njn/content_display/majors/public-policy-and-issues/e3i962c9998ff4ef12fe861d2bfcaa39dc8.

Tanzania faces industry opposition to its new mining law

Richard — Tue, 18 May 2010 14:00:29 +0000

After being criticised for failing to implement a mining bill that would bring greater benefit to the country, the Tanzanian government has now passed the law which increases both the royalty on minerals and ensures a government stake in future mining projects. The mining industry has been less than impressed. The Tanzania Chamber of Minerals and Energy, described the legislation as “distorted” and would “hinder further growth of the mining sector”. The relevant minister pointed out the “law was not enacted simply with the aim of pleasing investors … [but] with the goal of safeguarding the interests of Tanzanians in the country’s mining activities. He accused the Chamber of behaving like a spoilt child. Given the royalties are only rising to levels more common elsewhere in Africa, it is difficult not to agree.

British-based companies involved in Tanzania include African Barrick Gold and African Eagle Ltd. South African based Anglo Gold Ashanti (which has a subsidiary listing on the London Stock Exchange) mis also active in the country.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=10087.

CAFOD calls on mining giant AngloGold Ashanti to share its contract with local community

Richard — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 14:56:26 +0000

CAFOD welcomes the news that the review of mining company AngloGold Ashanti’s contract in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been concluded after almost three years of negotiations.

The Catholic agency stresses the need for the publication of the contract and its amendments and calls on AngloGold Ashanti to share it immediately with the local community in DRC.

The contract between the South African company and the DRC government confirms a joint venture to mine one of the largest unexplored goldfields in Africa.

Although reduced from 9,000km2 under its exploration contract to 6,000km2, the mining area is still about 60 times the size of Paris and contains around 3 million ounces of gold.

AngloGold Ashanti has a subsidiary listing on the London Stock Exchange.

See http://www.cafod.org.uk/news/anglogold-2010-03-29.

Tanzanians more cursed than blessed

Richard — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:00:52 +0000

In this opinion piece the author asks whose interests drive the government and politicians in Tanzania and who is at the heart of policy development and formulation when mining corporations enjoy a better relationship with politicians than their electorates do? He argues that mining companies and government Ministers have missed an opportunity “to repair the damages caused and compensate the poor villagers of their looses” and chosen to advance their own interests in the New Mining Bill. The article mentions AngloGold Ashanti, a South African company with a subsidiary listing on the London Stock Exchange, and Barrick, a Canadian company with London-based financial investment (see below).

See http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=23066.

Barrick is a Canadian company but London-based AXA Investment Managers UK Ltd had over $10 million invested in the company in 2007, BlackRock Commodities Income Trust plc has invested in the company, and the company also has connections with Millhouse Capital, controlled by London resident Roman Abramovich, and New City Investment Managers Ltd/NCIM (UK). (See From Money to Metals by Roger Moody, http://moneytometal.org/index.php/From_Money_to_Metals.)

Robbing Africans

Richard — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:13:08 +0000

An African faith coalition publishes a detailed examination of the ways in which citizens are defrauded of mining profits. The document refers particularly to AngloGold Ashanti, which has a subsidiary listing on the London Stock Exchange, and to Konkola Copper Mines, owned by Vedanta Resources.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=9925.

Killings of smallscale miners in Colombia

Richard — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:57:16 +0000

FEDEAGROMISBOL is the Federacion de Agromineros del Sur de Bolivar (Federation of Smallscale Miners of the South of Bolivar) in Colombia. The Federation sees a link between the assassinations and the interest of AngloGold Ashanti (a South African company with a listing on the London Stock Exchange) in the area. The original Spanish text is below the English translation, by Maggie Scrimgeour of Colombia Solidarity Campaign.

Communiqué to national and international public opinion:

Continued extermination of members of Fedeagromisbol

Two artisanal miners have been assassinated in the south of Bolivar.

We, the organizations below, reject and denounce to public opinion the following facts:
1. On the 10th February 2010 towards 7 in the morning the brothers OMAR ALONSO RESTREPO OSPINA and JOSE DE JESUS RESTREPO, 26 and 40 years old respectively, both artisanal (smallscale) miners and members of FEDEAGROMISBOL, and OMAR ALONSO also president of the Community Action Committee in the hamlet of Dorado, left Montecristo municipality in the direction of Caucasia Antioquia, in order to buy parts for their vehicle. They arrived at Nechi at about 10a.m. that same day and continued their journey to Caucasia.

2. According to the locals the brothers were accosted by a group of armed men about 20 minutes from Nechi municipality and taken to an unknown place. Some versions of the events held the paramilitaries that operate in the area responsible.

3. Some people from Dorado went to the municipality of Nechi to find out the whereabouts of the Restrepo brothers and the police informed them that they knew of a place where there were two bodies, a place known as Parcela de Londres. However this place was too large to find them.

4. Yesterday, 12th February, during the night, the dead body of OMAR ALONSO RESTREPO OSPINA was found in the Cauca River in the municipality of Achi, and today in the early morning, the dead body of JOSE DE JESUS RESTREPO RESTREPO was found in the Cauca River, in the municipality of Guaranda. Both bodies were found with visible signs of torture.

5. These assassinations are part of a long string of acts of aggression against the people of the south of Bolivar, such as the assassination of ALEJANDRO URIBE CHACON on the 19th September 2006 and others which we consider to be actions which are part of a strategy to force us to leave our territories, as part of a larger more macabre alliance between the national government and the gold mining multinationals such as ANGLO GOLD ASHANTI and palm companies such as Grupo Dabon who are trying to take control of the natural resources in the south of Bolivar.

6. We hold the Colombian state responsible for these occurrences. The state has refused to continue dialogue with the communities in the south of Bolivar in the form of the Forum for Dialogue and, on the contrary, has continued to militarize the region and openly permit the actions of paramilitary groups.

We condemn outright these assassinations and all actions which try to force the people of the south of Bolivar from their land.

We are calling out to all sister organizations to denounce this to the authorities, demanding firm responses to, and investigations of, the assassinations, and an immediate end to the aggression against the people of this region.

We also ask that the relevant departments of state do everything in their power to clear up the questions around these crimes and punish those responsible.

FEDERACION AGROMINERA DEL SUR DE BOLIVAR
COMISION DE INTERLOCUCION SUR DE BOLIVAR
MOVICE – CAPITULO SUR DE BOLIVAR – SUR DEL CESAR
CORPORACION SEMBRAR
REDHER – COLOMBIA
ORGANIZACIÓN FEMENINA POPULAR
COORDINADOR NACIONAL AGRARIO-CNA
ORGANIZACIÓN INDIGENA DE COLOMBIA – ONIC
RED FRENTE A LA GRAN MINERIA
CORPORACION AURY SARA MARRUGO
INSTITUTO NACIONAL SINDICAL – INS
NOMADESC
CAMPAÑA PROHIBIDO OLVIDAR
RECALCA
COMISION INTERCLESIAL DE JUSTICIA Y PAZ
AIDA
RED ANTORCHA
RED REVUELTA
CENSAT- AGUA VIVA
ASOCIACION MINGA
CORPORACION COLECTIVO DE ABOGADOS LUIS CARLOS PEREZ
OBSERVATORIO DE TRANSNACIONALES
ECOTIERRA
CORPORACION COMPROMISO
CONCIENCIA CAMPESINA
OBSERVATORIO SOCIAL Y AMBIENTAL

13 February 2010

COMUNICADO A LA OPINION PUBLICA NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL
CONTINUA EXTERMINIO CONTRA FEDEAGROMISBOL
ASESINADOS DOS AGROMINEROS EN EL SUR DE BOLIVAR

Las organizaciones abajo firmantes denunciamos y rechazamos ante la opinión pública los siguientes hechos:

1. El día 10 de febrero de 2010 hacia las 7 de la mañana los hermanos OMAR ALONSO RESTREPO OSPINA Y JOSE DE JESUS RESTREPO de 26 y 40 años respectivamente de profesión agromineros y socios de FEDEAGROMISBOL y OMAR ALONSO presidente de la Junta de acción comunal del corregimiento el Dorado y fiscal de la Asociación agrominera del corregimiento el Dorado ; salieron del municipio de Montecristo hacia Caucasia Antioquia, con el fin de comprar unos repuestos para un vehículo de su propiedad. Llegaron a Nechi hacia las 10 de la mañana del mismo día y continuaron el viaje hacia Caucasia.

2. Según versiones de pobladores de la región los hermanos fueron abordados por un grupo armado a 20 minutos del municipio de Nechi y llevados con rumbo desconocido. Algunas versiones señalaron como responsables a paramilitares que operan en la región.

3. Pobladores del Dorado se trasladaron hacia el municipio de Nechi con el fin de Indagar sobre el paradero y la suerte de los hermanos Restrepo la policía les informe que conocían de la presencia de dos cadáveres en el sitio conocido como Parcela de Londres pero que el sitio era muy extenso para ubicarlos.

4. Ayer 12 de febrero en las horas de la noche en el rio Cauca a la altura del municipio de Achi fue hallado sin vida el cuerpo de OMAR ALONSO RESTREPO OSPINA y hoy en las horas de la mañana en el río cauca a la altura del municipio de Guaranda fue hallado sin vida el cuerpo de JOSE DE JESUS RESTREPO RESTREPO. Ambos cuerpos fueron encontrados con visibles signos de tortura.

5. Estos asesinatos hacen parte de una larga cadena de hechos de agresión contra los pobladores del sur de Bolívar como lo fue el asesinato de ALEJANDRO URIBE CHACON el 19 de septiembre del 2006 y otros tantos que se vienen presentando en el marco de lo que consideramos una estrategia integral para el despojo del territorio por parte de una alianza macabra entre el gobierno nacional y las multinacionales del oro como la ANGLO GOLD ASHANTI y palmicultoras como el Grupo Dabon que pretenden apoderarse de los recursos naturales del sur de Bolívar.

6. Responsabilizamos de estos hechos al estado colombiano que se ha negado a continuar dialogando con las comunidades del sur de Bolívar en el marco de la Mesa de Interlocución y al contrario continua militarizando la región y permitiendo abiertamente la acción de los grupos paramilitares.

Rechazamos rotundamente estos asesinatos y todas las acciones tendientes a despojar a los pobladores del sur de Bolívar de su territorio.

Llamamos a las organizaciones hermanas a que se pronuncien ante las autoridades exigiendo acciones firmes de esclarecimiento de los asesinatos ocurridos y que cesen inmediatamente las agresiones contra los pobladores de la región.

A los organismos de control del estado a ejercer los mecanismos necesarios para que estos crímenes sean esclarecidos y los responsables castigados.

13 febrero de 2010

Nineteen mining firms commit to poverty reduction – ICMM

Richard — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:18:51 +0000

Nineteen mining companies, one of them China-linked, have agreed to use their combined influence to reduce poverty and foster development. All members of the London-based International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), the 19 said at the Mining Indaba that they had also chosen to prioritise revenue management, regional development planning, local content, social investment and dispute resolution.

The companies are African Rainbow Minerals, Anglo American, AngloGold Ashanti, Barrick, BHP Billiton, Freeport-McMoRan, GoldCorp, Gold Fields, Lihir Gold, Lonmin, Mitsubishi Materials, the China-linked MMG, Newmont, Nippon Mining, Rio Tinto, Sumitomo Metal, Teck, Vale and Xstrata.

See http://www.miningweekly.com/article/19-mining-firms-commit-to-poverty-reduction-icmm-2010-02-02.

Golden Opportunity or False Hope?

Richard — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:15:12 +0000

AngloGold Ashanti’s proposed gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo

New report from CAFOD and South Africa’s Benchmarks Foundation

AngloGold Ashanti is a South African company with a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange.

See http://www.cafod.org.uk/content/download/106612/1178506/version/1/file/DRC_reportEN.pdf or http://www.bench-marks.org.za/research/DRC_reportEN.pdf.

AngloGold Ashanti says goodbye to Suárez, Colombia

Richard — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:25:02 +0000

London-listed AngloGold Ashanti (based in South Africa) has a large number of mineral concessions and exploration projects in Colombia. Its operations in the Department (province) of Valle del Cauca, in the south west of the country, have faced very strong, organised community resistance, mainly because of the threat posed to agriculture. In November, the company announced its withdrawal from Suárez-Cauca municipality, a decision welcomed by the area Trade Union Congress. However, the company is still active in the Cajamarca-Tolima region. The company’s presence in Colombia has often been bulwarked by paramilitary organisations. One of these, calling itself “Black Eagles New Generation” (Aguilas Negras Nueva Generacion), is accused of declaring its opponents to be a “military objective.”

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=9664.

Ghana conference makes major demands for sustainability, human rights

Richard — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:25:28 +0000

In one of the largest and most comprehensive conferences of its kind held in Africa, 1,700 delegates from mining-affected Ghanaian communities have issued many urgent demands to their government. These would affect London-listed AngloGold Ashanti. See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=9554.

Communities in Colombia reject AngloGold Ashanti

Richard — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:38:46 +0000

Communities in the municipality of Bolivar in the Colombian province of Cauca held a demonstration on 18 September to protest against the presence of London-listed South African multinational AngloGold Ashanti. A community forum was held in the municipal arena, addressed by a representative of the company. Grassroots and trade union organisations and student representatives from the Universities of Cauca and Tolima expressed their unanimous opposition to the company’s planned exploration and exploitation in the hills and mountains of the municipality.

For more information (in Spanish) see http://www.redcolombia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=651&Itemid=34.

Guinea regime says it will audit global miners

Richard — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:43:00 +0000

Recently, the government of DR Congo announced results of an audit of mining contracts signed with the former military regime, mostly by foreign companies. Arguably, it took the return of a fragile democracy (though certainly not of stability) for this process to be fulfilled.

Now, the junta which seized power in Guinea earlier this year is embarking on a similar exercise. And the fortunes of both AngloGold Ashanti and Rio Tinto are at stake.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=9475.

AngloGold Ashanti given green light in Colombia

Richard — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:40:43 +0000

The Colombian mines and energy ministry (Minminas) said the country has the necessary knowledge and experience to ensure that the development of the La Colosa gold project will meet all social and environmental standards. Communities continue to oppose it vigorously.

See
http://www.bnamericas.com/news/mining/Govt_says_La_Colosa_development_will_meet_social,_environmental_standards/153600104.

Human cost of mining in DR Congo

Richard — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:39:03 +0000

A BBC report investigates the links between mineral production and armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mabolia Yengo, who advises DR Congo’s ministry of mines, believes that a process of certification to ensure the mining does not fund violence – such as with the Kimberley process for diamonds – is long overdue.

In the past, London-listed AngloGold Ashanti and Amalgamated Metal Corporation, among others, have been accused of stimulating violence there.

See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8234583.stm.