"On February 2nd 2006, Anthony Baidoo, a farmer from Teberebie in Ghana was shot when military prevented him and other farmers to enter their lands on the concession of the Iduapriem mine. It took almost two hours to get him to a first aid clinic. Like the tip of an ice block the scene is a snap shot out of a complex and yearlong conflict over surface gold mining in Ghana.
The Iduapriem gold mine is owned by Anglo Gold Ashanti, the second largest gold mining company worldwide, based in South Africa. The World Bank owns part and has invested into the mine for more than ten years. The mine is located in the Wassa West District, which has the highest concentration of gold mines in Africa.
What the Iduapriem mine does to the local communities is to literally eat up their land and local infrastructure: farming gets increasingly impossible, water supplies become short or contaminated and children have dropped out of school because they cannot reach there anymore.
Teberebie is a resettlement village of 700 inhabitants. They have already lost their traditional lands, now they are loosing the land they farm to a huge waste rock dump. In 2004, an agreement was reached to provide the farmers with new land. So far this commitment is on paper only."
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FIAN actions and reactions:
Iduapriem gold mine, financed by the World Bank, pollutes water and cuts off farmers from their lands (FIAN Urgent Action, April – June 2008)
Anglogold accused of discharging raw sewage into water bodies at Teberebie (Ghana News Agency, 15.4.08)
AngloGold Ashanti Pollutes Creeks At Teberebie (Ghanaian Chronicle, 17.4.08)
Who Speaks for Teberebie (Ghanaian Chronicle, 17.4.08)
FIAN calls for investigations into human rights abuses by multinational gold miner in Ghana (FIAN Press Release, 22.4.08)
Iduapriem environmental issues (AngloGold Ashanti Press Statement, 28.4.08)
Ghana Halts Military Protection for Mining Companies (Public Agenda, 12.5.08)
Mining Communities Demand Development From Anglogold (Public Agenda, 23.5.08)
Background information on the Iduapriem case:
Community Action Plan for GAG – Iduapriem and Teberebie Mines, September 2003
Mike Anane “Financing Misery. The story of IFC and AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Limited”, March 2007
Letter by FIAN and WACAM to IFC, June 2007
IFC Answer to FIAN and WACAM, August 2007
Background information on on-going militarization in Ghana’s mining districts:
