Rio Tinto: Intensified conflict resolution team for Guinean Bauxite

By Abdul Rahman Bangura–

NEW AFRICA DAILY NEWS (NADN) Freetown, Sierra Leone- Rio Tinto Limited announced on February 12th, 2021 it has given aptitude to its Guinean counterpart to assist resolve a controversy with local neighborhoods over
resettlement for a bauxite mine.

Moreover, Guinean burgher in towns around the mine cataloged a grievance in 2019 with International Finance Corporation – a multinational development institution associated to the World Bank, contending contraventions by miner Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée SA (CBG) of its commitments around resettlement and pollution.

Bauxite producer CBG is 51% held by consortium Halco Mining Inc and 49% acquired by the Guinean administration. Rio Tinto and Alcoa Corp each eye 45% of Halco, while Dadco Investments clenches the remainder. Rio asserted in an affidavit, it had given CBG a Guinea-based Africa expert and a manager with acquaintance on resettlement and human rights, in a way to motivate it to work towards a consequence aligned with global criteria.

The international miner is squabbling to rehabilitate its status around how it governs human rights after it obliterated two ancient rock shelters sacred to Australian Aboriginal lineage for an iron ore mine in May 2020.

Rio, which has board expression on Halco and CBG as well as numerous shareholder oversight committees, explained the two factions entered agreement in December 2020 on ground statutes for the mediation scheme.

In 2018, Human Rights Watch ascertain that, CBG and another bauxite producer routinely displaced rural denizens from their land to build mines, roads, and other infrastructure.

For New Africa Daily News Abdul Rahman Bangura Reports,  Africa Correspondent

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