"Response to Forbidden Stories Articles", 26 June 2019

...the Guardian in London and the international Forbidden Stories collective published a number of articles on Acacia’s North Mara mine (“the Mine”) in which they repeated allegations about the Mine relating to human rights and the environment. Acacia was asked to comment for some of the articles and did so, refuting several claims and explaining the factual background and context with respect to others. As Acacia’s comments were only partially reflected in the articles, and the articles were misleading in their portrayal of the Mine, the company would like to clarify the current situation at North Mara in relation to a number of these allegations...

The articles concerning the security and human rights situation at North Mara repeat historical allegations about incidents involving the Tanzanian police and the Mine’s security personnel and their engagement with illegal trespassers at the Mine. The articles focus primarily on events in 2011, but also discuss events of 20 years ago. They portray the past as the present, and present allegations as substantiated facts. Largely ignored is the current situation at the Mine, where there are fewer illegal intrusions, few interactions between police and the Mine’s security personnel on the one hand and intruders on the other, few new allegations of excessive force being employed, and a relationship between the Mine and its local communities which, while complex and challenging, like that of any Mine-community relationship, is largely positive and recognised by the community as improving...

Acacia and the Mine were concerned to read for the first time the allegations regarding incidents of intimidation, harassment and threats against journalists in relation to media coverage about the Mine. The Company and the Mine would like to make it clear that previously we have not been aware of those or other such allegations, and could never support any actions which infringed human rights or breached applicable local or international laws.