Thread by @raidukorg

Investors in @BarrickGold have a huge opportunity to press the multinational gold mining giant at next week’s AGM to face up to #HumanRights abuses by police at its North Mara gold mine in #Tanzania. Here are some problems we found in its latest #ESG Sustainability Report 🧐🧵

https://twitter.com/BarrickGold/status/1518698036725231619

Barrick states it “cannot be accountable for the actions of a national police force”, yet it has an undisclosed agreement between the Tanzanian mine & police to pay, equip and accommodate police guarding the mine, integrating them within its security structure.

Barrick has repeatedly tried to frame #humanrights abuses as “personal injury”, an approach contested in a related case at the UK High Court last month. With at least 4 deaths and 7 assaults documented since Barrick took full operational control, it has a lot more to answer for.

Barrick's #Sustainability Report fails to report the deaths. It refers to “human rights risks near our operations” but at least 2 of the 4 killings occurred within operational areas. All killings and assaults were by police assigned to the mine and relate to security operations.

Barrick asserts a “reduction in use of force” at North Mara (without details to back this up), but this doesn’t tally with accounts we’re still getting from local communities. RAID is verifying reports of fresh violence, as recently as March, incl. a man chased, shot and killed.

Barrick says “no evidence has been provided” by affected parties. Barrick has received RAID’s full report, but has not answered follow-ups, and does not intend to engage further. Survivors have rightful concerns about going to the police, when police are the alleged perpetrators.

Barrick cites positive findings from an *unpublished* London gold market assessment at North Mara. But we've raised an official complaint with @LBMAExecutive about abuses & we’ve yet to hear back if @BarrickGold sourcing is being investigated under the Incident Review Process.

Barrick says it's improved community relations at North Mara, but has it? Just last week Tanzanian authorities disbanded the mine's Community Development Committee for concerns about financial mismanagement & lack of community involvement in the projects: mwananchi.co.tz/mw/habari/kita…

Responsible investors are in a powerful position to push for an end to the violence & abuse, and urge @BarrickGold for redress for the harm caused. We wrote to eight of Barrick’s top investors pressing them to raise these concerns at the AGM on 3 May: raid-uk.org/blog/investors… #ESG