URGENT ACTIONS

CASES

Ghana: Gold mining company, financed by the World Bank, cuts off more than 700 people in Teberebie from their fields

The village of Teberebie is located in the Wassa West District of the Western Region of Ghana. Mining in the Wassa West District, which is known to have one of the largest clusters of mines and mining companies on the African continent, has led to the destruction of large tracts of land. Lands that were previously used for farming and those that could be used so have now been swallowed up by mining concessions. The South African mining company AngloGold Ashanti is one of the biggest internationally.  At Teberebie, where AngloGold Ashanti operates the Iduapriem mine, the intense blasting, vibrations, noise, dust, the increasing waste dumps and the loss of access to land and water, are taking a toll on community members. The Iduapriem mine is partly owned by the World Bank’s private lending arm IFC (International Finance Corporation) which currently has invested 2.5 Million US Dollar in the mine. Moreover, since 1990, about 45 Million US Dollar have been provided by IFC in loans to the Iduapriem mine.

FIAN International has been supporting the victims for several years with visits, a fact-finding mission, advocacy work and recently an urgent action (0705UGHA) directed to the President of the Republic of Ghana, as well as the IFC.

The failure of the government to protect the community’s access to its fertile lands or to provide replacement land or adequate compensation violates the community’s right to food. In addition, the failure of the state authorities to mitigate the loss of access to surface water sources and break down of boreholes constitutes a violation of the human right to water. The Government of Ghana should thus urgently meet the request of the affected community for access to new farmlands to ensure its right to food and secure the livelihoods of the Teberebie peasant families.