Newsletter of National Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD) in Sierra Leone
Published by MAC on 2004-10-15
Newsletter of National Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD) in Sierra Leone
October 2004
Kamakwie Diamond Rush: Boom or Gloom?
Kamakwie, a small town in the Sella Limba chiefdom in Bombali district, Northern Sierra Leone, has become the latest attraction for many people who pitch their future on precious stones called diamonds. Since effective mining, though informal and disorderly, started in 2000, Kamakwie has played host to ceaseless armies of fortune seekers who come from all over the country, and even farther afield. They are pretty desperate to get rich overnight. This mass exodus of all sorts of people has over-stretched the few public amenities and infrastructure to breaking point, thereby bringing the whole township and its environs to near chaos, lawlessness and human suffering.
Kamakwie has become densely populated; statistics given by the Mines Monitoring Office in the township indicate that about 70 percent of those presently engaged in active mining in Kamakwie and the surrounding villages migrated from Kono, Kenema and Bo districts which have a long history of diamond mining in the country. Majority of them are Northerners who have been in the diamond business in various capacities for a very long time. Since there are no guest houses and the existing dwelling structures cannot cope with the influx, those who can afford it, especially dealers, spend the nights in Makeni and go in the morning to transact their businesses. But majority of the people, especially the miners/diggers, either sleep in the open or in shacks hurriedly made up of mud and sticks. There are no means of communication between the township and the rest of the country; and the road leading to Kamakwie, like many others across the country, is appalling. This makes movement of people and goods from one place to another painfully slow, frustrating and hazardous.
This deplorable situation has had a lot of health and social implications for the residents. Cost of living has become unbearably high with prices of basic foodstuffs skyrocketing by the day. There are very few latrines and no protected water wells in the township. The great majority of the people defecate in the nearby bushes; whilst the entire population depends on streams for their sources of water for various uses, including drinking. These streams too are continually contaminated and polluted by mining activities. There is a widespread fear that if concrete measures are not taken immediately, there is the potential for cholera and diarrhea outbreaks before the rainy season bids farewell.
Kamakwie was predominantly an agricultural area before the discovery of diamonds. Local inhabitants grew tobacco, pepper, groundnuts and the staple food, rice. They largely depended on these produce/products for their livelihoods. But the current spate of mining taking place in the chiefdom has caused them to abandon their arable lands to engage in mining. In the process, the environment is destroyed and residents exposed to mining-related hazards caused mainly by irresponsible and unsupervised mining activities.
But the story of Kamakwie and its new-found wealth is not just about doom and gloom; there is a bright sunshine beyond the dark lining. Besides the income which mining is bringing to the communities by way of taxes and rents, an opportunity has also been created for the indigenes to actively engage in the industry. As at press time, the Minister of Mineral Resources, Alhaji Mohamed Swarray-Deen and his deputy, Alhaji Morlai Bai Kamara, confirmed that about 60 mining licenses have been issued in Kamakwie alone. More people have applied for licenses, which are now being processed.
Alhaji A. K.Kamara of the Mines Monitoring Office in Kamakwie says almost all the bushes in the Sella Limba chiefdom have been demarcated by mines wardens and that mining activities are more concentrated in the villages. Licenses are issued to only people who have been screened by a small committee chaired by the Paramount Chief to ensure that applicants are true indigenes of the community. However, most of the license holders are supported/financed by non-indigenes, most of whom are foreign nationals.
Mining in Kamakwie is not “spot mining” where diamonds are concentrated in a specific location. Diamonds are sparingly distributed thereby making it difficult to find them. But so far winnings are said to be bright and spotless. The most recent winning, and indeed the biggest winning since mining started in the chiefdom, was a 56.87 carats diamond found in Kagberray village near Kamakwie on 30 August 2004. Its actual value is yet to be ascertained, according to the Mines Monitoring Office in Makeni, since receipts of sales are not yet brought in.
The regional mining engineer in Makeni, Mr. Sullay S. Sankoh, admitted however that despite this mad rush, the government is yet to carry out a geological survey to assess the potentials and geography of diamond deposits in the region. He says that in the absence of such an exercise, it would be difficult to tell whether the diamond deposits will last long. However, he is optimistic that there are potentials for the existence of kimberlite dykes in Kamakwie and in Kambia, all in the Northern Province. Meanwhile, the Acting Deputy Director of the Geological Survey in the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Mr. Trill S. C. Gouldson, has confirmed that the Sierra Leone Development Company (SLDC) is presently carrying out an exploration exercise in these areas to ascertain the extent and viability of the kimberlitic structure in the Northern region.
Editorial - In search of the real enemies
MUCH HAS BEEN said about the Campaign for Just Mining, a broad-based civil society coalition initiated and spearheaded by the Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD). In the same vein, a lot of accusations/charges have been levelled against members of the Campaign and staff of NMJD by especially senior officials of the government and staff of Koidu Holdings SA Limited (KHL).
THESE CHARGES RANGE from distortion of facts, to undermining the government, to acting as fronts for some corporate bodies with an eye on Sierra Leone minerals, to subversion. These are serious charges that carry long jail terms, and even the death penalty. These charges are precipitated by the Campaigners’ uncompromising pro-poor stance on the operations of the KHL in Kono district, eastern Sierra Leone. However, none of them is based on facts. They are all woven in falsehood, with the main objective of intimidating the Campaigners to back off.
DESPERATE TO CONTINUE to do business with the South African mining outfit, the Sierra Leone government was quick to throw its total, unequivocal and uncritical support for the KHL irrespective of the wailing and groaning of people in the affected mining communities. Local leaders are compromised or coerced to sign Memorandums of Cooperation against their will. Those who insist on pursuing the ‘forbidden’ path are demonized before the court of public opinion or detained.
THE CAMPAIGN FOR Just Mining was established in January 2000 following the publication and simultaneous launching in Canada and Sierra Leone of the incisive report on Sierra Leone’s diamond industry entitled: The Heart of the Matter – Sierra Leone Diamonds and Human Security. The report, authored by Partnership Africa Canada, traced the link between the devastating civil conflict and minerals, especially diamonds. It came up with concrete evidence to suggest that proceeds of diamonds from conflict zones were used to bankroll the 11 years civil war.
THE EFFORTS OF the Campaign since then have been geared towards exposing the criminal use into which our diamonds have been put; delinking them from arms trade, barbarity, drugs and cross human rights violations. This is done through strategic alliance building, dialogue and sustained engagement. We are not against mining in Sierra Leone as is being suggested in some quarters. But we abhor reckless and irresponsible mining – mining that devastates the environment, undermines community livelihoods and leaves the people in abject poverty and disunity.
DOES THIS AMOUNT to being anti-progress and unpatriotic? We definitely don’t think so. If anything, it is those who collude with doubtful characters and corporate bodies to milk mother Sierra Leone are the true enemies of state. Their collusion has helped to deepen the poverty situation of the great majority of Sierra Leoneans and reduce them to a life of squalor and wretchedness. Therefore, it is they who deserve public trial, and not us. It may be long in coming. But it will surely come! And when that day does come, the proverbial heaven and hell will meet on earth. It is then, and only then, will the people know who their real enemies are.
Promoting Just Mining in Sierra Leone
By Charles Lahai
Sierra Leone is endowed with mineral resources such as gold, diamonds, rutile, bauxite, zircon, manganese, platinum, etc. The mining of these mineral resources in Sierra Leone commenced way back in the 1930s. These natural endowments seem to be more of a curse than a blessing to the growth and development of the nation. But the question that continues to beg the minds of Sierra Leoneans is; what value are our mineral deposits adding to the general national development agenda? How are the lives of local people improving giving all the massive rock blasting for diamonds, for example? As a nation, it is incumbent on all of us to protect our natural environment and to ensure full compliance with widely acceptable standards
The National Forum for Human Rights (NFHR), a coalition of some forty-one human rights and development organizations across the country, has maintained interest in the issue of just mining and how it impacts on the country’s environment and economy. In June this year, a team of Human Rights and Development organizations led by NFHR conducted a research into the impact of mining in the Kono District. The exercise focused primarily on the activities of Koidu Holdings, a mining company operating in Kono. The research team comprised representatives of Green Scenery, Campaign for Just Mining, Caritas Makeni, Network Movement for Justice and Development, Kono District Students Union and NFHR as the lead organization. Other participating agencies included Global Rights, Partners for Justice and UNAMSIL who provided the technical training for the research purpose.
It is no stretch of the imagination to say that the diamonds obtained from the diamond fields of Kono District, in particular, were used to fuel the eleven years old war that destroyed every facet of the Sierra Leonean society. Noting therefore that the scars of the war are still with us – a huge number of amputees, burnt down houses, a traumatized nation, etc, NFHR remains committed to promoting and protecting the rights of Sierra Leoneans through advocacy and lobbying, research and documentation, monitoring and supervision and the administration of justice. In discharging this mandate, we are faced with all sorts of threats from government quarters.
NFHR continues to urge all and sundry to work towards the institutionalization of a code of good practice where mining companies and other cooperate bodies can be held accountable for any physical or material damages that their activities may cause on the lives of our people. It is clear that the creation of access to justice for the poor ‘Salon Man en Woman’ will help to shape our destiny. Ostensibly, it remains the responsibility of Government to ensure that every agreement that leads to such process must include the total participation and involvement of the community people; although it was not so in the case of Koidu Holdings.
In fact, when one recalls the words of Mary Robinson, the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who described the Sierra Leone war as the “most barbaric and brutal in recent times”. This should urge us to be cautious in the things we do, how we do it, the way we do it and for whom we do it.
In recent times the need for the mining sector to play a pivotal role in the regeneration of the economy has become increasingly tremendous. As an institution, we reckon that there were every chances that the mining sector could attract big international mining companies that would provide the much needed capital outlay for the rebirth of the economy. It is a well known secret that in the 60s and 70s the mining sector, especially diamonds, provided about 45% of the nation’s GDP. This high expectation of the mining sector as depicted in the National Recovery Strategy Paper seems to be a pipe dream when one considers the challenges that confronts this sector and for which the political will to make things work for the better is conspicuously absent.
The issue of mining in Sierra Leone and its impacts on the livelihoods of people is quite eroding particularly into their assets be they social, economic, physical, and human. Consequently, it is only when mining impacts these for the good then, and only then, can we say that mining is just.
NFHR has always been interested in the issue of promoting and protecting human rights and believes that there is need to be involved with this issue in a strategic manner such that the mining communities could benefit from the proceeds of their own natural resources. A key issue for consideration of NFHR is the implementation of the Environmental Management Plan which ensures the actualization of many aspects that will improve the lives of the Sierra Leonean people. In many instances the non implementation of such plans has given rise to conflicts as in is the case between Koidu Holdings Limited and the Community Property Owners Association.
In the light of these unfortunate situations, what do we do collectively to ameliorate these ugly occurrences? How do we get our Government accountable for the things they do? How do we ensure that there is effective collaboration between the Government and the people they purport to serve? And intrinsically, how do we raise our concerns with these stakeholders in a way that we do not wake up one morning and see our beautiful country in shambles giving all the massive blasting and the oceanic picture we see in mining areas?
We believe that Sierra Leone can make it to higher heights if, and only if, we can locate ourselves in a position where we can put our nation first.
Long live Salon, Long live our resources and long live us all.
What NMJD has taught me
Many young people who have worked with the Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD) on internship are always clamouring to come back and rejoin the “NMJD family”. NMJD has played host to several interns from Universities and other institutions of higher learning from as far afield as Canada and the USA. The heart-warming welcome, the creativity and the ceaseless flow of new ideas and initiatives, the resourcefulness, energy and commitment shown by staff at all times and the wide range of powerful grassroots contacts across the country will make the stay of any intern at NMJD worthwhile. With their well-rounded staff that complement one another, work at NMJD is a natural process. Ishmeal Alfred Charles, a Peace and Conflict Studies student of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, shares his impressions at the end of his internship.
It has always been my dream to work, or at least associate, with the Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD). I have been following their activities for quite a while, and was very much impressed by their courage and resilience in addressing issues that affect the ordinary man and woman. So joining this human rights seeking, advocacy and development-oriented organization as an intern was a dream come true. It was quick for me to realize that NMJD is all about empowerment and sustainable development. The “first commandment” at NMJD is that: whatever you say or do should have an option/preference for the poor”. This, perhaps, is the motivating factor to the success of the organization.
My stay with NMJD has broadened my knowledge on especially my area of studies and enriched me with a lot of new ideas that would positively impact my future career. One thing I was particularly impressed with is the diversity and effectiveness of the several networks and coalitions NMJD is working with. Our exposure to these networks and coalitions also helped to give us an insight into the activities and programmes of a wide range of organizations operating in the country. I have heard and read about many Non-Governmental Organizations that have made immense contributions to the development of the country such as Campaign for Good Governance, National Forum for Human Rights, Lawyers Center for Legal Aid, Methodist Church Sierra Leone, etc. My internship provided me the opportunity and privilege of not only working with these organizations, but also interacting and building relationships with their staff.
I therefore wish to thank the Board, Management and staff of NMJD for their love and support throughout my stay at NMJD. I want to sincerely confess that NMJD have helped me to start looking at life with different lenses.
Diamond Exports Register an Increase
A dramatic increase in diamond exports has been realized since the beginning of 2004. A total of 396,132.37 carats of diamonds valued at US$68,282,702.49 have been exported. This value is 84% more than exports of 2003 (US$37,090,434.74) and 57.6% increase in carats from 251,238.07cts, same period. Price per carats reached US$172 from US$148, same period in 2003.
There are currently ten export licenses holders, but only a handful of exporters seriously contributed to the overall increase in export, with H. M. Diamonds capturing 46% of the total artisanal diamond exports of 362,751.46cts – US$61,184,582.79 and 41% of the total export.
1. H.M. Diamonds - US$28,047,299 - 46%
2. Andre’ T. Hope - US$11,743,542 - 19%
3. Sarahdiam - US$9,081,766 - 14%
4. Kassim Basma - US$7,849,242 - 12%
5. Sima Star Co. (SL) Ltd - US$3,252,277 - 5%
6. Others - US$1,210,456 - 4%
Koidu Holdings
As at 30th June, Koidu Holdings has exported a total 33,381 carats of Kimberlitic diamonds, valued at US$7,098,120. They are expected to do better than this after the mine is developed to its full potential.
Reasons for the increase
Due to better security prevailing in Sierra Leone, large numbers of people have returned to the mining areas, resulting in increased participation in, and the intensification of mining activities.
De Beers introduced a marketing strategy called “Supplier of Choice”. This system reduced the number of sight-holders. A good number of former sight-holders lost their places at De Beers. These now look for their supply of rough diamonds in the open market. This has increased demand for rough diamonds, thus driving up prices in both the international and the local markets.
The rough diamond market has become so insatiable that for several months running now demand has consistently outstripped supply for all sizes and qualities. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme has created a positive impact on the diamond industry as it is being gradually enforced to the fullest, making it difficult to trade diamonds outside the scheme.
Liberia, the traditional smuggling route is still under UN ban from exporting diamonds. This has reduced Liberia’s ability to create a negative impact on Sierra Leone’s diamond exports.
Dawn of a New Era
By Sallieu Kamara
Efforts aimed at addressing the myriad of problems plaguing the Sierra Leonean civil society reached a crescendo, when over one hundred civil society activists from broad-based and diverse interest groups across the country gathered at the Presidential Lounge of the National Stadium in the nation’s capital, Freetown, on 2-4 September 2004, to reflect and chart the way forward. The meeting, graced by several high profiled personalities in the diplomatic, private and public sectors, was perceived by many people as the beginning of a new era for civil society in Sierra Leone.
The three-day national consultative forum was organized by the National Forum for Human Rights (NFHR), Trade Union Confederation of Sierra Leone (TUC-SL) and the Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD). The main focus, among others, was to create a forum whereby civil society and other key stakeholders with different backgrounds and interests could adequately and effectively input into the validation process for inclusion in the final Sierra Leone Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (SLPRSP). It also created an opportunity for civil society to mirror itself within the context of prevailing circumstances in the country with the view to positioning itself to meet the emerging challenges of post-war Sierra Leone.
One of the issues that came out clearly throughout the discussions was that even though the Sierra Leonean civil society had been impressive during the crisis period, it has failed woefully in peace time to perform its traditional role of demanding accountability and transparency from political leaders and public officials for their actions or inactions. This conspicuous failure was due mainly to the fact that the civil society has been weakened, disorganized, fragmented, over-politicized and left with no clear-cut direction or focus on the altar of its leadership’s relentless quest for political appointments and material gains.
Participants were therefore challenged to use the opportunity created by the Forum to develop civil society alternative structures and processes that would effectively engage the citizenry in discussing national issues that would lead to the overall development of the country. In the same vein, the leaderships of these structures and processes were required to present an alternative that was not only transparent and accountable, but also skewed towards the poor.
The meeting concluded with the setting up of interim regional structures for all of the four regions in the country, and a national coordinating unit. These structures were charged with the responsibility, among others, of further coordinating and organizing grassroots-based civil society organizations in their respective regions. Another national meeting was slated for January next year.
Another key outcome of the consultative forum was the setting up of a task team from among the participants to review and carry out an in-dept analysis of the draft PRSP with the view to presenting civil society’s observations, concerns and recommendations to the Poverty Alleviation Strategy Coordinating Office (PASCO). The team retreated to the serene environment of Yavouhey House at Leicester Peak, where it deliberated for three days, working day and night. Its general observations and recommendations in the form of a report were presented to PASCO and other key stakeholders in the lead up to the scheduled September 14 Sierra Leone Development Partners Committee Meeting (DEPAC) in Freetown.
Some thoughts on Civil Society
The phenomenon of civil society is an aged-old-one. A peculiar feature or attribute of it as a phenomenon is the problem of defining what it is all about, when does it qualify to be true to its name, what defines its activities, what are the limitations to initiatives it could undertake and what and which processes it should refrain from? A quick reflection on these questions will readily highlight the complexity of this phenomenon – known as civil society.
A quick attempt at a definition will invariably highlight the following issues: Civil, being vast and extension and often covering a host of entities within a nation state, while society, could present varying definitions relating to community as an organized entity in which people interact. A question worth asking at this point is what is civil society? Based on its very nature, any attempt at presenting a totally holistic definition could be presumptuous. A rather tailored definition could present it for our purposes as;
. A body of persons formed into a group, withdrawn from direct operation in the traditional arms of government and the forces. As a group, it continuously strives to occupy the assumed space in the management of the affairs of the state between the common citizens (ruled) and those with political and military authority (executive and administrative) – the rulers.
The formation of civil society organization has for a long time been part of the processes of managing a sate and the affairs of the citizens in a quest to ensure that the people have access to the public good in all its various facets and manifestations (security and welfare) with a view of living dignified lives in their communities. The background to its formation could be either spontaneous or precipitated by a need to respond to emerging needs and circumstances and a desire to respond where the available means of managing the situation proves to be either inadequate or unresponsive.
The world over civil society phenomenon is gradually being focused as providing a key non-state actor role, in ensuring that the nation state is held together and performs the traditional role of catering for the needs and welfare of the people of the state. It could also be stated that in most Third World countries where governments have failed in providing for the public good, civil society has become increasingly the sector to redress the imbalance-providing watchdog roles and actually involving in and fostering development…..
the ideal place of civil society in nation-building
It has already been insinuated that civil society organizations are increasingly considered in contemporary times as critical elements in advancing the world’s development agenda. This recognition could be realized at both national and international levels. What are some of the prerequisites of features to be exhibited to propel civil society organizations into action?
There has to be a clear, focused and unambiguous agenda to promote against all odds.
Political neutrality – individual partisan affiliations should not cloud the agenda of the organizations, nor compromise it.
Strive towards self-reliance as a key step towards maintaining and enhancing neutrality and reducing trappings that could lead to compromises.
Assist in identifying and associating with popular national development agenda and ensuring meaningful and positive contributions.
Weigh entry points and timings for embanking on ADVOCACY, LOBBYING and CRUSADING for an agenda worth supporting to avoid negative backlashes.
Actions that require early and immediate action should not be delayed on the platform of interests that are not national if the respect for and dignity of the operations of civil society should endure.
Excerpts of the keynote address Mr. Emmanuel Gaima presented to the Civil Society National Consultative Forum organized by the Civil Society Alternative Process in Freetown on 2-4 September 2004. Mr. Gaima is Director of the Decentralization Secretariat.
Media Watch
The Saga Continues
Since the publication of the last edition of The Network in April, there has been no ease up in the raging debate over activities of the South African mining outfit, Koidu Holdings SA Limited. This debate continues to occupy pages of the nation’s leading tabloids. The Network monitors this development with keen interest. Reproduced in the following pages are random samplings of such articles.
Concord Times
August 4, 2004
Over Koidu Holdings ……
Kabbah to Sue NGO for Subversion
President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah has threatened to sue a local NGO for subversion. The president made this threat in Kono recently when he was in the district to inaugurate councilors of the District and Town Councils.
In the president’s address at the Faachima Hall in Koidu, he reiterated that Koidu Holdings SA Limited (KHL) were very good business partners of the government and people of Sierra Leone, but that a local NGO, which he did not name, has been painting a very bad image about the company abroad.
“They have their selfish interests that is why they want to paint a bad picture about Koidu Holdings so that the latter would be discouraged and leave. In the end, the same people want their own business partners to take over after KHL would have left. They will be sued for subversion,” the president bellowed.
The issue of KHL has been a flash point in Kono recently and many people are of the belief that the president was referring to the Network Movement for Justice and Development, which has been championing humanitarian campaigns against the kimberlite mining company.
Concord Times
6th August 2004
KABBAH CANNOT SUE NMJD
…says Abu Brima
National Coordinator of the Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD), Abu Brima, has charged that President Kabbah cannot sue his local NGO for subversion because he is not the owner of the mining outfit, Koidu Holdings SA Limited (KHL).
Brima was reacting Thursday to claims made by the president recently in Kono that he intends dragging to court a local NGO for painting a bad image about KHL abroad.
“We are not violating any law nor subverting anything”. Brima said.
The NMJD Coordinator noted that his organization is working within the framework of the law and they are a legal NGO. According to him, NMJD, through the Campaign for Just Mining, will continue to raise public awareness about the dangers of Kimberlitic mining and urged government to take the necessary action.
“How can a cooperate company come here and start dictating the pace of things and control people?” Brima asked.
“KHL has built and handed over only ten houses for affected people of the community who number over two thousand, what about the others? They have been left in misery.” He said it has taken Koidu Holdings a long time for them to construct these ten houses and noted that they are not even up to standard.
For di PEOPLE
Friday July 2 2004
BEREWA COERCE KONO TO BACK THE MERCENARIES!
Vice President Solomon Ekuma Berewa is reported to have coerced a group of local authorities from Kono, among them, local chiefs and affected property owners to sign a prepared joint statement by government and KHL, legalizing the operations of the company in Kono, despite the fact that the World Bank, its principal financier, have recently discredited KHL by withholding its insurance guarantee.
The signing, which took place at the Vice President’s Spur Road residence on Tuesday, had representatives from the host mining chiefdom of Tankoro, Kono Council of Chiefs, chairman of the Affected Property Owners, KHL Manager, Jaan Joubert, Mines Minister Alhaji Mohamed Swaray Deen and other government ministers.
According to a representative of the Affected Property Owners, Mines Minister Deen could not allow them to comment on some of the anomalies contained in the prepared document, which he said, was not in fact made adequately available to them, but to just a selected few.
Amendments made in the contents of the statements served earlier on did not go down well with the requisitions of the affected property owners.
“Having gone through the content of the document, it was the same as what was on the ground in Kono with regards the Kimberlitic mining in Kono”.
“The manager of Koidu Holdings SA Ltd, Jaan Joubert, argued against most points in the document that if the Vice President allowed such a document to be signed and published locally and internationally, the content and wording of the document will not give credibility to the Koidu Holdings mining project”.
“Joubert was strongly supported by VP Berewa, Mines Minister Swarray Deen, parliamentary and political affairs minister, Eya E Mbayo,” he said.
He said although efforts were made by both the chairman of the Affected Property Owners, Kai David Mboma, and Secretary, Tamba G. Mboma, to draw the attention of the Vice President and ministers present about the non-adherence of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report by KHL, it was condemned by KHL manager, Joubert, and he was supported by the Vice president.
“In the light of the above, we the representatives of the affected property owners deem it expedient that we have not been treated fairly at all”.
“We had no opportunity to study the document properly and we were forced to sign the document against our own free-will,” he stated.
It could be recalled that the affected property owners on whose land KHL is carrying out its Kimberlite blasting, have on several occasions protested against the blatant disregard in observing the Environmental Impact Assessment recommendations by KHL, vis-à-vis the non relocation of residents seriously affected by the company’s uncountable blasting.
The above issue was ingloriously criticized by a section of the independent press, human rights and environmental groups resulting to the World Bank’s recent decision to withdraw its insurance scheme from KHL. This action (of coercing key stakeholders to sign a prepared document to which they made no input) could be viewed as a last desperate attempt by government to legitimize KHL.
PEEP MAGAINE
Friday July 2 2004
The President Blunders Once Again
What is his interest in the mercenary ‘slash-and-burn’ mining company? First it was Vice President Berewa, now the Pa himself; government officials are leaping to the defence of Koidu Holdings, the Kimberlite mining company and damning the coalition of civil right groups, NGOs and community organizations that have been opposing them.
In an interview quoted in the Awoko Newspaper (June 25, 2004), President Kabbah is very frank about the Campaign for Just Mining which has raised concerns about Koidu Holdings’ environmental track record and its apparent failure to resettle in decent houses communities displaced by its blasting operations. Let’s quote from the Awoko article at some length.
According to President Kabbah, Campaign for Just Mining is doing “a gross disservice to the people of Kono district and the entire country”.
How so? The president explained that the Campaign was giving “Grossly inaccurate and negative information about Koidu Holdings to international financial institutions…. necessary to give the company the type of financial guarantee that would enable them to stay in business”.
The President hit harder on that point: “It is no business of an NGO to feed international organizations with distorted and alarmist accounts with a view to deprive this country of opportunity of realizing the full benefits of its resources….”
“We should not let ourselves to be influenced by the few Sierra Leoneans who for their own personal interests and under the guise of operating as NGOs, are determined to stall our development.”
Why the President feels that a ‘few Sierra Leoneans’, registered by his self same government as NGO’s, wish to ‘stall development’ is not clear. But the Pa is very firm about what he considers to be an NGO.
“The role of the NGO, Campaign for Just Mining, as I understand it, is to act as a lobby group to raise issues of concern to it with government… and to attempt to reconcile or bring alarms in areas where it considers an improvement is necessary.”
Yes sir and the role of a government is to govern – not to act as a lobby group for dubious mining interests. Enough of this nonsense – presidential nonsense is, may be, but nonsense just the same…….
Development Diamonds – Sierra Leone
This is a paper presented by National Coordinator of the Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD), Mr. Abu A. Brima, at the Wilton Park Conference in London on Environment, Development and Sustainable Development: Finding Paths to Environmental Peacemaking held on 16-19 September 2004.
The Sierra Leone Mineral Sector
The emphasis on natural resource extraction to generate economic growth and promote development by reducing poverty and thereby ensuring sustainable peace has generated controversy amongst development scholars, donors and borrowers, and civil society. These observers have noted that resource extraction has questionable economic and development benefits, and can exact severe socioeconomic and environmental costs. Indeed, despite the intensive exploitation of Sierra Leone’s natural resource wealth especially diamonds since the early 1930s, poverty still remains pervasive and endemic.
Over the last three decades, Sierra Leone has suffered from conspicuously constrained economic growth, with negative GDP growth rates recorded on a year-on-year basis, and produced disappointing results in terms of promoting development and addressing the basic needs of their citizens. As a result the country has persistently maintained the bottom ladder of the Human Development Index for more than the last three consecutive years. This implies that there is large proportion of people living on less than $1 per day.
In spite of this negative development, the mining sector is believed to be the only sector that can easily contribute significantly to the country’s economic recovery and development process. Diamonds remain the chief export earner, with significant reserves of other minerals such as gold, rutile, bauxite, chromites and iron ore, as well as a potential for oil discovery. Despite its great potential, the mining sector accounts for only about 20% of GDP due to improper policies for the exploitation and utilization of the resources in the sector
The mining sector in Sierra Leone of which diamonds play a central role, was no doubt, the economic nerve center for the growth and development of the country in the 1960s and 1970s. It was a major source of revenue for the government and its proper management had a significant implication in the economic, social and even political life of the people of Sierra Leone. With bad politics, poor management and downward economic trends, the diamond sector became mismanaged, uncoordinated; illegality prevailed and eventually collapsed. The 11-year brutal rebel war (1991-2002) was partly a result of this unfortunate situation that ended up drilling the last nail in the death coffin of the mining sector.
With the diamond mines in the firm grips of the rebels, it was possible for them (the rebels) to bankroll their war machinery, destroy more than 3,000 communities, kill over 75,000 people, dislocate/displace close to half the 5 million inhabitants and rape so many women and girls, brutally hack-off the limbs of more than 2000 innocent civilians and forcefully abduct about 10,000 children to be used as beasts of burden. The diamonds were used to devastate, destroy, disfigure and damage every aspect of the country. Yes, diamonds are capable of doing this and anything else-indeed anything the users want to put it into.
But before this war, the sector was already in bad shape-un-regulated, uncoordinated, mismanaged, corrupted and politicized. It was a free for all sector inundated with criminal elements. It was a fertile ground for foreign diamond business tycoons and companies that were prepared to make as much profits as possible in the midst of chaos and uncertainties. Business was ‘good’ for the crooked as Sierra Leone degenerated till it came to its knees with the outbreak of the war in 1991.
Development Diamonds?
The response of Civil Society to the human tragedy came when the campaign to criminalize conflict/blood diamonds was launched in 2000 by Partnership Africa Canada (PAC), Global Witness (GW), International Peace Information Service (IPIS) and Network movement for Justice & Development (NMJD) and their partners. This campaign aimed at drawing international attention to the global criminal nature of the Sierra Leone diamond trade, the global security implications inherent in such an affair, the insensitivity of the international community to the plight of the near genocide that was being planned in Sierra Leone and the need for a global international action to halt trade in conflict diamonds and institute a global mechanism to make trade in diamonds conflict free. This is what was accomplished in the three year tripartite negotiations among governments, diamond industry and civil society that culminated in the signing of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS)[1] in January 2003 that is now acceded to by 43 countries including the European Community, involved in the production, export and import of rough diamonds and accounts for approximately 98% of the trade in rough diamonds.
The aim here is to isolate rebel groups using diamonds for war and protect the legitimate trade as well. This is not to say that corrupt and oppressive governments will not trade in diamonds. And it does not also deal with the problems of miner and digger in the diamond pits anywhere. KPSC only deals with the trade aspect-how the diamond travels from the production till it is exported, processed and traded. With the certification process Sierra Leone export of diamonds has increased from USD41.73 million in 2002 to USD76 million (82%) in 2003, with 2004 projected at USD100 million[2].
Sierra Leoneans are hopeful that the mining sector will once again be made to make important contributions towards industrial, socio-economic and infrastructure development particularly in the rural areas. It is expected to provide new employment opportunities, generate foreign exchange earnings and contribute ignorantly to government revenue[3]. The establishment of the USAID funded and managed Peace Diamond Alliance (PDA)[4] launched in December 2002 has a formal membership of miners/diggers, dealers, exporters and aims at coordinating the diamond sector to ensure that mining is done in a responsible, transparent, accountable manner that benefits the membership and the community as a whole. Presently concentrated in Kono district, it is meant to spread out in other parts of the country. Capacity building and facilitating fair trade are part of the agenda of PDA.
Another initiative that is pushing forward the development diamonds agenda is the educational and advocacy work of the NMJD initiated and run Campaign for Just Mining (CJM)[5] in Sierra Leone. Launched in January 2000 as part of the “Conflict/blood Diamond Campaign” CJM advocates for legality, accountability, transparency and social responsibility in the mining sector. The aim her is to contribute to the consolidation of peace in the country by ensuring that the mining sector is made to operate in a way that is acceptable, beneficial to the local people taking in account their needs and peculiar situations with their active involvement in decisions relating to policies, laws, agreements, and other relevant issues. This is pursued through educational programmes, consultations, capacity building programmes, and campaigns at both local and international levels. The work of CJM is supported a lot more by Partnership Africa Canada and other friends. Much has be achieved but of course a lot remain to be addressed.
Broader, umbrella and more inclusive civil society coalition establishment in the name of National Advocacy Coalition on Extractives (NACE) replacing the Diamond Area Community Development Fund (DACDF)[6] initiative has given a new stamp to the institutionalization of the campaign thereby legitimizing the earlier initiatives and providing a more solid platform for policy engagement. As a matter of fact this new coalition accommodates few government institutions like the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources, the ministry of Local Government; also included is the Anti-Corruption Commission. Originally the major pre-occupation of NACE was to ensure the proper, transparent, accountable and beneficial use of the DACDF. NACE provides a unique opportunity for direct bilateral engagement between government and civil society. It is modeled on the Kimberley Process and very soon the corporate entities will be encouraged and invited to take part. However, the individual advocacy organizations maintain their autonomy and mandate even as they belong to the coalition. The coalition gives a broader outlook to the campaign and provides platform for solidarity and unity of purpose.
The Challenges
With the end of the war in 2002, there has been an increased influx of diamond exploration and mining companies (for alluvial and Kimberlite mines). The physical mining process itself has a direct negative impact on the environment and if appropriate measures are not taken it will lead to destruction and threatening of the peace already achieved. For instance, mining activities, particularly in the eastern and southern regions of the country have left vast areas of land deforested and degraded. It is estimated that between 80,000 and 120, 000 hectares of land have been mined out in different parts of the country with minimal efforts at reclamation. The uncontrolled exploitation of mineral resources, coupled with the absence of mitigating policies and conservation programmes over the years has resulted in downward spirals of environmental degradation and socioeconomic consequences.
Development
In spite of the problems inherent in the diamond sector, there is great expectation that once again this sector is looked upon to salvage the country from its present crisis. This is better captured by the Ministry of Mineral Resources in their Proposed Core Mineral Policy of November 2003[7], which states “The minerals sector has been an essential part of the Sierra Leone economy for almost ninety years. Reform of the mineral sector and the diamond industry in particular are considered crucial because of their importance to the economic development of the country. The Government has correspondingly assigned a high priority to activities aimed at the reactivation and sustainable development of the mineral sector to assist in rebuilding the country and rectifying the devastation caused by the war” In recognition of the environmental degradation caused by mining, the irresponsible manner in which it is conducted and the negative economic impact on the people and country, the proposed Core Mineral Policy document went on the add “ The principles and objectives outlined in the Core Mineral Policy will ensure that the development of the minerals sector is achieved in ways that will protect the environment and that are socially responsible and economically viable”
It is also increasingly believed that mining can definitely contribute to enhance economic growth; increase government revenues that can be used to finance development initiatives and the provision of essential public services; create jobs; facilitate the transfer of technology; lead to the improvement or construction of essential infrastructure; and catalyze the growth of lateral or downstream industries. These theoretical arguments, however, are often at odds with empirical evidence of the negative impacts of mineral resource abundance on human development. Research seems to indicate that although mineral exports may make up a significant share of a country’s exports, mineral development does not always boost a country’s economic growth and may, in some cases, contribute to increased poverty. The reasons for the lack of economic growth in the mineral sector dependent states are not entirely conclusive (Ross, 1999). However, low levels of employment in the sector, use of mostly imported technology, high market volatility of minerals, competition with agricultural sectors, and institutional corruption and mismanagement may be contributing factors (Sideri and Johns, 1990; Gelb et al., 1988; Auty, 1990). Moreover, it is seen that the actual strategic interventions in the mining sectors are often inconsistent with the government stated development programme rationale.
The resulting implication is the country’s lack of fiscal discipline and sustainability that have long-term socioeconomic consequences on the well being of its citizens.
Health
In spite of the gowning expectations that the mining sector will be of any good, the present reality spells doom for the communities, the miners and country as a whole. Artisanal Mining, which is the most widespread form of mining, is very badly managed and uncoordinated. The mining areas are the poorest in terms of health facilities and sanitary conditions. A recent research conducted by Green Scenery[8] described the situation in part thus: “There is very poor sanitary condition with dug out pits infected with mosquitoes, bacteria and pother vectors, found in towns and villages and even near homes. Thus there is prevalence of malaria, at times cholera, and diarrhea. Mining activities such as diving, deep pits mining have left people blind, deaf, and disfigured. There were reports of chronic pains, pneumonia and sexually transmitted infections. Essential drugs to address the health needs are inadequate and available ones are expensive….Lack of good drinking water particularly in major towns is a major problem. All the streams and rivers are heavily affected by mining such that they are hardly drinkable. The population largely depends on water wells and few can afford the portable sold in shops. There is no tap or pipe borne water”[9]. This is how the major mining district of Kono[10] in Sierra Leone looks like. What the other mining parts of the country is like is everyone’s guess.
This picture is the same all over the country and worse scenarios are being developed in the new diamond finds in Kamakwie in the Northern region.
Human rights
One precarious human rights situation is the phenomenon of child miners in the diamond mines. A huge number of children estimated at some 10,000 between the ages of 6-18 are found in the mining pits[11]. There are no clearly defined child labour standards and only very limited piecemeal, isolated programmatic interventions to remove children from the mines and to provide them with alternatives (education, skills training) and their families (income generation) exist so far. Clearly, a policy framework is needed that provides for
· The development of a clear child labour standards and their monitoring/implementation
· The signing and ratification of the ILO Convention C182
· The sensitization of communities, families, miners, children and concerned institutions
· The programmatic/strategic intervention especially with access to education/skills training and alternative income to families
Women who are engaged in mining are corrupted and made to operate in illegality. Mining areas are apportioned inequitably to women leaving the rich areas to men only, sometimes under the guise of secret society laws. The women are discriminated against in holding political leadership positions such as becoming Paramount Chiefs. Women contestants in the last District Council elections were forced to withdraw their candidature in certain chiefdoms.
Early marriages are very much prevalent in the district as a result of the influence of the mining activities. Boys as young as seventeen or even below are married to girls as young as fifteen years. Teenage pregnancy is another prevalent issue. Some of the teenage marriages are forced marriages due to poverty in the home. Rape and other sexual offences are reportedly not high but prostitution rate is very high. Domestic violence is common occurrence with cases of such nature frequently reported in the police. In the remote areas it is hardly reported.
Education
The history of education in Sierra Leone is such that it is better developed, more concentrated and more accessible to people in other parts of the country-non/less mining areas. Look at what Green Scenery research came of with for Kono, the greatest mining district of the country district.
“The worst affected area of life in the district is education. This has a long history dating as far back as 1930 when mining was first introduced in the district. Since that time on to the war period, the people of the district put premium on mining than education. School going children were denied schooling for the mining pits. The girl child was discriminated against by not allowing her to go to school amongst the few who were sent to school. Thus education is at law ebb in the district. Even after the war when the attitude of the people seems to have changed in favor of education, the lack of educational facilities such as infrastructure for schools, learning equipment and conducive and encouraging environment for both schooling and working conditions of service, are making education still wanton in the district. The few schools are now highly populated with children but there are no trained and qualified teachers. A school of about eight hundred pupils have only one salaried teacher. Parents are compelled to voluntarily contribute to pay the temporary teachers to teach their children. Girl child education is still a problem. The few that go to school often drop out due to early pregnancy. Sex education and other sanitization programmes on such issues are hardly organized to help ameliorate these problems.
The unavailability of tertiary institutions such as teacher training colleges compounds the problems. Vocational institutions for technical education are to a large extent unavailable with only two starting now in the township of Koidu. The most lauded SABABU Education program is hardly visible in the district”[12].
Socio-cultural issues
The socio cultural disintegration of the mining communities is fast approaching alarming levels. The influx of immigrants both local and international in mining communities/districts has resulted in increases level of non-mining and anti-social activities including crimes, drug abuse larceny, murder, rape, indecent assault and exposures, prostitution vagrancy and the like. Even traditional leaders like local chiefs have been seem abandoning their responsibilities in their localities for mining pits in other parts of the country. Many sacred bushes/shrines have been desecrated and turned into mining sites. Needless to say that the increased level of lawlessness and the conflicting relationship among authorities and different sectors of society has often provided a fertile ground for conflicts and political manipulations.
To Be Continued
[1] The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is an innovative voluntary system that imposes extensive requirements on Participating Nations to certify that shipments of rough diamonds are free from conflict diamonds
[2] Gold and Diamond Department (NRA)-Half Yearly Report: January – June 2004 pg.8
[3] Proposed Core Mineral Policy of Sierra Leone-November 2003 (1.4)
[4] PDA is a membership organization of diggers, miners, dealers, and exporters. It aims at ensuring that diamonds come to benefit the local people/diggers/miners, communities and the investors
[5] CJM is a network of Civil Society Groups across Sierra Leone fighting for JUST mining policies and practices in the mining sector
[6] Launched in January 2001, the Govt. gives 25% of the 3% that is generated from diamond exports to be sent back to diamond mining communities/chiefdoms for development from the mining licenses issues in that chiefdom and value of diamonds gotten from that chiefdom. This came about as an out come of the CJM campaign.
[7] Proposed for the review of the Mineral Act of Sierra Leone
[8] Environmental and Human Rights NGO in Sierra Leone
[9] Green Scenery Policy Paper Series:01/07-Diamond Mining And Human Development In Kono District Pg.5
[10] Kono district is the major diamond mining/producing district in the country. It has both extensive alluvial and Kimberlite diamond deposits being exploited at the moment.
[11] UNAMSIL CP, Mining Policy & children draft 30/11
[12] Green Scenery Policy Paper Series:01/07-Diamond Mining And Human Development In Kono District Pg.5