Campaigners 'sensitise' kimberlite communities

Campaigners 'sensitise' kimberlite communities

Since Koidu Holdings Limited commenced blasting of the Koidu Kimberlite Pipe on October 30 last year, the Campaign for Just Mining has organized a series of education and sensitization workshops as well as wide ranging consultations with affected communities in Tankoro Chiefdom, Kono district. The main purpose of these exercises was to create a forum where the people could discuss issues around diamond mining with a view to finding out whether it was done in the best interest of both the people and government, with special reference to the Koidu Kimberlite Project.

Discussions at these meetings centred around the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) carried out by Koidu Holdings Limited, Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) and the agreement which the Koidu Holdings signed with the government of Sierra Leone in 1995 under the Mines and Minerals Decree of 1994.

EIA

The meetings looked at both the positive and negative impacts of the Kimberlite mining in Kono. On the negative side, there was going to be involuntary population movement, influx of people leading to social problems, loss of soil resources, air pollution, noise pollution, contamination of ground water, reduction in surface water quality and loss of biodiversity, among others

However, Kimberlite mining is not all a tale of doom and gloom; there are the prospects of support to community development projects, employment opportunities and increase in revenue collection through taxes and other financial obligations.

But all of these positive impacts could not be realized unless disturbance to the natural environment and lifestyles were minimized and the capacity of the land returned to that which existed prior to the start of operations. The people expressed concern over whether Koidu Holdings would scrupulously adhere to established standards since their participation in the whole process was very minimal.

RAP

Another aspect of the EIA discussed by affected communities was the Resettlement Action Plan and the Public Disclosure of the report. Speaker after speaker asserted that even though the EIA document should have been made available to the affected communities prior to full-scale mining operations, that was not done by Koidu Holdings. The affected communities saw this as a gross abrogation of the spirit and letter of Public Disclosure of the EIA report.

Agreement

The National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) of Captain Valentine Strasser negotiated and signed a 25-year lease with Branch Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Diamonds Works, for open cast mining of Kimberlite in the Kono District. The agreement, which was ratified and came into effect the same year, came about by virtue of section 59 of the Mines and Minerals Decree 1994.

The different minerals identified in the agreement were diamond, gold and associated minerals. The agreement conspicuously fails to specify the associated minerals and there is no clause in the agreement that gives the people the authority to demand to know what these associated minerals are, especially in the light of the Confidentiality and Disclosure clause.

Participants also discussed the confidentiality and disclosure clause which states that all data, information and reports relating to the mining lease area or to the mining operations owned by or in possession of the lessee shall be treated as confidential by each of the parties. This leaves the people with no other option but to guess and speculate on issues they are supposed to be an integral part of. The agreement, however, places an obligation on the lessee to at all times perform his duties, obligations and work in the mining lease area with all due professional diligence and in accordance with the best and safest practices. To many, this appears to be confusing, contradictory and ambiguous.

Koidu Holdings

What came out clearly throughout the sessions was that the people in the affected communities knew very little about Koidu Holdings Limited, a clear testimony to the failure of the company to engage the affected communities and give them the necessary information. About 99 percent of Kono indigenes, including traditional leaders who are custodians of the affected land, were still not aware of the change from Branch Energy to Koidu Holdings even though the company had started full operations. In fact, all what they knew about Koidu Holdings was that it was Branch Energy, widely known and acclaimed by many for "bankrolling" the mercenary outfit ­ Executives Outcomes - that redeemed Kono from the iron and destructive grip of the Revolutionary United Front rebels in less than two weeks. Little did they know that the government of Sierra Leone was in agreement with Branch Energy to pay US$1.5 million every month for the services of the Executive Outcomes. Many people see the lack of correct information about Koidu Holdings as the genesis of the rancour and current bad blood between the company and the affected communities.