ZCZC
BFF-06
GUINEA-BRAZIL-MINING
Survivors lodge complaint against Brazilian mining co. over 2012 Guinea shooting
CONKARY, Guinea, Nov 1, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The surviving victims of a shooting in which six villagers died in 2012 in Guinea have lodged a complaint against a Brazilian mining company which they accuse of complicity, a non-governmental organisation said Wednesday, as the firm strongly denied the allegations.
The six villagers were killed in August 2012, when police opened fire in Zogota, in the West African country’s N’Zerekore region, on people who had gathered to protest against the recruiting practices of the Brazilian mining company Vale, which they accused of employing outside ethnic groups at their expense.
On September 11, the NGO The Same Rights For All (MDT) filed a complaint against Vale with the N’Zerekore prosecutor on behalf of the victims.
“They (police) came at night while people were sleeping. We were woken by the sound of bullets being fired and when people went out to see what was happening they (police) shot our fathers and brothers,” head of the village and victims group Kpakile Gnedawolo Kolie was quoted as saying in an MDT statement.
According to MDT, the mining company, “closely collaborated with the police” by “helping to plan the action” refuelling vehicles and making others available to them.
“The police and army say that it was a legitimate arrest mission and not a repressive attack. And the company says it had nothing to do with this attack. But this does not match the evidence collected on the ground,” said Jonathan Kaufman, director of Advocates for Community Alternatives which is supporting MDT.
Vale, however, totally rejected the allegations in a statement, stating that it had “never undertaken in or supported any acts of violence in Zogota”.
It said: “In 2012, the VBG camp was invaded by demonstrators and the facilities were damaged. For safety reasons, employees were evacuated in an orderly manner, protecting the entire team’s well-being.
“VBG then fulfilled its duty by communicating the incident to the local authorities. Vale strongly condemns any acts of violence and it follows the highest international standards for human rights such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.”
BSS/AFP/AU/08:00 hrs