Sierra Leone: Blood Mining

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 1 March 2018

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 2010, a UK-listed company began developing a mining concession in Sierra Leone it said could transform the economic fortunes of the local population. But instead of benefiting the most immediate communities, hundreds found their homes destroyed, their livelihoods uprooted. And among the people who protested, many found themselves violently beaten and detained, and in one or two cases shot at and killed. Ed Butler investigates some of the untold stories of one of west Africa’s most dramatic recent abuses of corporate power. We hear from those who suffered, investigate allegations of police brutality, and look at the supposedly well-regulated system of corporate governance which was supposed to prevent abuses taking place.

Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Anna Meisel Editor: Penny Murphy

Transcript

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0:00.0	I was petrified.
0:03.0	Now from the other there between fire.
0:05.0	They started shooting right from down the other hill and they came up here shooting at random.
0:10.0	I was petrified. I thought these guys were here to kill us.
0:17.0	I've come to a village in the northern part of Sierra Leone, West Africa. The site, some eight years ago, of a now notorious
0:26.3	attack led by police officers against local villages.
0:30.3	They came without any warning. They started beating up our people, they opened fire,
0:36.3	live rounds started shooting.
0:38.0	Welcome to assignment on BBC World Service. I'm Ed Butler and today I'm investigating both these events
0:45.9	and the London listed mining company African Minerals Limited whose activities
0:50.6	seemingly inspired them.
0:53.0	Unarmed villagers were that day protesting the taking of their lands, a lack of compensation.
0:59.0	New evidence that we've uncovered suggests the violent police reaction was directly instigated by
1:05.4	company staff. I got the impression that the local police were nothing more than
1:10.0	an armed vigilante group who secured the AML mine in exchange for cash.
1:14.0	Today local people are fighting for address, but what was the role of the company and its
1:19.9	mysterious billionaire founder.
1:22.5	And how come people with a background like his are still able to raise small fortunes for
1:27.6	their ventures through the London Stock Exchange?
1:30.3	Apparently, no questions asked.
1:33.0	Do the markets themselves have a case to answer here?
1:37.0	I'm standing now in the village of Kemadugu.
	...

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