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Niger’s courts immediately shut down several gold mines currently owned by Chinese businessmen. The closures are temporary and are intended to investigate damage affecting farmers and nearby communities.
Farmers report the death of several of their animals, 24 in total, in just two days at the end of last April. The animals drank sewage before dying, causing a loss of income for residents who decided to appeal to the government for compensation.
It happened at Tabelot, where breeders highlighted the role of the miners of the Chinese company Sahara SARL. The latter claim that the region does not suffer from epidemics or droughts and that the death of animals can only be due to sewage from the surrounding mines. According to them, the harmful products that the mines release into the water are what could explain all of this.
The sewage contaminates all the surrounding cities. In Fasso, a few kilometers away, a farmer confirmed that he had lost 16 animals. For some of their neighbors it is difficult to calculate the losses because they are very significant. All this happened very quickly, preventing them from finding a solution to slow down or even stop the pollution.
Ultimately, Niger’s Ministry of Mines ordered the temporary closure of at least four of the mining sites. The government fears that water tables have been affected, which would imply an even greater imbalance.
Ciprian Pop
Photo: InfoTurism
