Deal #5698

During research, 57% of respondents around Karma indicated that they did not know that a mine would be installed.

Already during the procedure to grant the concession, residents of the affected villages expressed their concerns about the possible negative impacts of the planned mining site regarding artisanal mining, health and the environment, and the loss of farmland as well as cultural and spiritual sites. Some residents protested in January 2015, setting part of the construction equipment on fire, which led to a temporary suspension of the construction work. Recently, conflict emerged concerning the resettlement plans in general and the planned location in particular. The new location proposed by the mine management is considerably less attractive than the residents’ current location in terms of the economic, social and cultural conditions there. The resettlement also includes the relocation of a cemetery, which many residents oppose.

Prior to the construction of the mine, 35 residents were resettled and villagers lost a total of 520 ha of farmland. In contrast to the announcement by the former owner True Gold that 400 people were going to be relocated during the second resettlement two years after the commencement of production (True Gold 2013), recent numbers indicate that 1,200 residents had to resettle due to the extension of the Karma mine.

The Ramatoulaye Mosque, an important pilgrimage site located close to the mining concession. The conflict between the villagers and Riverstone Karma SA is not only related to the potential threat to the mosque, but also to the lack of income generating opportunities in the area following the loss of fields and the prohibition of artisanal mining. More recently, the resettlement of the residents of Boulouga, to the benefit of the extension of the mine, was also crucial.

Farmers report having been paid between 300,000 and 500,000 CFA Francs (approximately €450 to €765) per hectare per year for a period of five years (in the case of the Karma gold mine, even for only three years) without renewal, even though the construction and production phase of a mine usually lasts 15 to 20 years. The compensation of trees and other investments normally takes the form of a onetime lump sum (e.g. of €15 to €30 per tree).