"Murder, rape and claims of contamination at a Tanzanian goldmine"

Welcome to North Mara, one of the biggest mines in Tanzania, which since 2006 has been operated by London-listed Acacia Mining and predominantly owned by the world’s biggest goldmining company, Barrick, a Toronto-based firm that holds a 63.9% stake. For the past two decades, this mine has been a place of danger, extreme violence and allegations of environmental contamination. Although Tanzania is nominally at peace, over the years police and security guards have been accused of killing dozens – possibly hundreds – of local people, injuring many more and raping countless women. There have also been reports of contamination from mining chemicals, but journalists and human rights activists who have tried to investigate these cases have sometimes found themselves the subject of intimidation, harassment and even threats of deportation from police and state authorities...

In a detailed reply to questions raised by the Guardian, Acacia said it took allegations seriously and would assess claims through its grievance systems. Even before the government’s order, the company said, it was looking into the construction of a new tailings dam. It warns that the dispute threatens the economic future of the Tanzanian people. “As a company, we are and always have been committed to acting responsibly towards the people of Tanzania, their environment and their communities,” reads a statement on the company’s homepage.