Dar es Salaam. Twelve villagers
living in the neighbourhood of North Mara Gold Mine have sued African
Barrick Gold (ABG) in the UK High Court for the death of six of their
relatives, who were shot by police in 2011.
A London law firm, Leigh Day, filed the case on
behalf of the villagers and yesterday served ABG and North Mara Gold
Mine Limited with the legal papers.
The ABG office in Dar es Salaam said it was aware
of the case and is committed to “addressing legitimate grievances in an
open and transparent way”. The firm was quick to assert, though, that it
will not compensate illegitimate claims or lawsuits.
ABG, whose gold mining activities are all in Tanzania, is registered as a limited company in London.
It is also listed on the London Stock Exchange and
cross-listed on the Dar es Salaam Stock Market. It owns North Mara,
Bulyanhulu, Tulawaka and Buzwagi gold mines – all in the lake zone.
The firm said in a statement yesterday: “We
understand that the majority of the claims in this case originate from
an incident in May 2011. A small number of additional claims have been
brought by intruders who illegally entered the mine on other occasions.
In the event any legal proceedings are pursued, ABG will vigorously
defend itself against all the claims.”
Leigh Day confirmed yesterday that it was
representing the villagers and said ABG and North Mara Gold Mine should
take responsibility for the deaths and injury of local villagers,
including “complicity in the killing of at least six local villagers by
police” at the North Mara mine. The companies deny the allegations.
“Twelve villagers, including one man who has been
left paraplegic, are suing the companies in the hope of receiving just
compensation,” Leigh Day added.
The firm said it started the legal proceedings in
collaboration with the Legal and Human Rights Centre of Tanzania, which
has sought to highlight what they describe as a serious human rights
situation at the mine.
The North Mara mine, which sits amidst seven
villages, has been the scene of frequent clashes between security
personnel guarding the mine and intruders said to come from neighbouring
villages.
Intruders often attempt to gather rocks from the
mine in the hope of finding tiny amounts of gold. It is alleged that
police are an integral part of the mine’s security and that they shoot
at the villagers using teargas and live ammunition.
The legal claims filed in the UK relate to
incidents occurring over the past three years, including one in which
five young men were shot and killed on May 16, 2011, according to Leigh
Day.