[Corporations] Corporate Bullying? Involvement of Newmont Gold Ghana in the Unlawful Arrest of Mining Activists

[Valerie Kwai Pun]

*
JOINT STATEMENT ON THE ARREST OF MR. IBRAHIMA AIDARA OF OXFAM AMERICA AND
WACAM ACTIVISTS*



The West Africa Regional Governance Advisor of Oxfam America, Ibrahima
Aidara was arrested with six other WACAM activists at the Brong Ahafo
Regional Police Command at Sunyani on the 27th November 2006, from 12.30 to
16.30, while they were meeting with community people in Yamfo, one of the
communities affected by the operations of Newmont Gold Ghana Limited's Ahafo
Mine. Newmont had agreed that Mr. Ibrahima Aidara and WACAM officials should
have a mine tour/meeting at the Ahafo Mine Project Site on 28th November.
The meeting at Yamfo was held to give WACAM and Mr. Ibrahima Aidara first
hand information on complaints of human rights abuses of some residents of
Yamfo and ex-employees of Newmont in order to have effective engagements
with Newmont officials on some community concerns.



The Police arrested them based on a complaint by officials of Newmont
namely; Mr. Barnes Kufuor; Newmont Information Officer at Yamfo; Mr. Samuel
Kumi, Newmont employee, and Mr. Yaw Kyei, Youth Vice-Chairman who is closely
associated with Newmont. Though the meeting was held at the Community Centre
at Yamfo, the Regional Police Commander, ACP Opare Addo accused the
organisers of holding a meeting at public place without permit. The Newmont
officials also claimed that the organisers of the meeting used the name of
Newmont to organise the meeting.



It is shameful and an act of cowardice that poor, powerless citizens cannot
freely organise a private meeting to discuss issues bothering their
livelihood because they are not complying with the desires of a powerful
multinational company.



In this circumstance, it is with great regret that we would like to announce
that we would not be able to attend the planned Ahafo Mine Tour and meeting
with Newmont officials, because our security is not guaranteed. We would
also have to discuss the arrest and bail terms with our lawyers.



We are sorry to note that Newmont does not believe in popular mobilisation
of community people to express their opinion on issues of concern to their
lives.  This is a breach of trust and an embarrassment to our two
organisations.  We also see in it an attempt by Newmont not only to
intimidate community people but also our organisations.  Infact, ACP Opare
Addo, the Regional Police Commander, stated before witnesses that he would
not want to come back into the Yamfo community to shoot people as had
occurred in the past. The statement of the Regional Police Commander of
Brong Ahafo Region is an acceptance of the use of brutal force to intimidate
community people to the extent of shooting when Newmont has a reason to
prevent popular organisation.  We also want to state that WACAM and Oxfam
America would never want to be associated with the name of Newmont for
various reasons which we believe would defeat our purpose of being
independent of any mining company.



We believe that the officials of Newmont framed up that story to set the
stage for the arrest of Mr. Ibrahima Aidara and WACAM activists in order to
intimidate the people of Yamfo who have suffered human rights abuses.
Indeed, the community people who were present at the meeting indicated that
if the name of Newmont had been used in the organisational work, they would
not have attended the meeting. We know how to organise our members to
meetings.



We are also worried about the safety and security of our activists working
in the Ahafo area since a local FM station had started receiving threats
through anonymous letters when they started focusing on the effects of
Newmont's operations on the communities in the area.



Our concern stems from the fact that activists in Peru campaigning against
the effects of the Yanacoccha mine owned by Newmont have been killed under
mysterious circumstances after receiving threats of death. Specifically, on
2nd November, Edmundo Becerra Corina, an Environmentalist and an opponent of
Yanacoccha's gold mining project was shot dead in Yanancanchilla, Cajamarca
province. Similarly, Dr Mirtha Vasquez Chuquilin, Executive Director of
GRUFIDES, Father Marco Arana and other members  of GRUFIDES campaigning
against the expansion of Yanacoccha mine  have been receiving anonymous
death threats.



We are worried about the spate of Police brutalities on poor and defenceless
mining communities, usually instigated by powerful and influential mining
companies.



We are disappointed that this incident happened a few days after Her
Excellency Mary Robinson, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights had issued a release calling on both government and mining companies
to take steps to end growing violence in mining communities perpetrated by
security agencies.



We wish that hopefully in the future, Newmont will request all her allies
and partners to comply with its standards of corporate accountability to
communities who are adversely affected by its operations. We wish to raise
the following concerns of communities affected by Newmont's operations:

•         Set up a sustainable access to farmland and livelihood restoration
for the nearly 10,000 people physically and economically displaced by the
mine in Ahafo South

•         Mine only with the consent of affected communities and pay
adequate compensation in Ahafo North, where almost 10,000 people might be
affected.

•         Do not mine in forest reserves

•         Fully disclose information on potential social/environmental
impacts of their activities on communities

•         Stop dumping mine waste and faecal matters in rivers (The case of
Asuopre River)

•         Stop using police and military forces to brutalise and violate
communities' rights to have meetings, peaceful protests and demonstrations.

•         Independent monitoring mechanism to track and mitigate the mine's
impact and do not try to undermine this independence by any mean such as
bribery or corruption and intimidation

•         Newmont should recognise and respect human rights in accordance
with socially responsible corporate practices.

•         Newmont should implement appropriate mechanisms for consultation,
participation and dialogue with relevant stakeholders, with appropriate time
frames and timely information, as a way to reduce mistrust and conflicts

•         Newmont should commit itself to allow independent audits of their
environmental and social practices, and should accept popular participation
in these audits.



We strongly condemn the arrest of Mr. Ibrahima Aidara and the activists of
WACAM. We call on the Honourable Minister of Interior and the Inspector
General of Police to investigate such actions of the Police and mining
companies that violate the right of community people to basic freedoms
especially, the right to freedom of association as enshrined in the
Constitution of Ghana.



Signed:









Daniel Owusu-Koranteng
Ibrahima Aidara

Executive Director of WACAM
    Oxfam
America, Senegal



Dated:

28th November, 2006



At:

Kenyasi.







To: Nicholas Cotts; Regional Director Africa - Newmont

       Mawuena A. Dumor; Manager Communication - Newmont



cc: The Honourable Minister of Interior,

       Accra



      The Inspector General of Police

       Accra



      The Press
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