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Latest update: 19/06/2009
- France - gold - Omar al-Bashir - Sudan
A golden deal for French firm in Sudan
Sudan's leader Omar al-Bashir may be the target of an international arrest warrant, but for a mining company affiliated to France's nuclear giant Areva, relations with the war-torn African country are about big money.
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Comments (4)
gold in Sudan
the main issue is not the circumstances under which this company is digging for Gold, but the terms they do that with, no matter what sort of regime is in the Sudan, it is always those giant multi nationals and Western companies that extracts resources from developing countries, in a neo-colonial pattern of repartriation of profits and money from the people they own it. the region of the country is one of the most impoverished regions in the country. This is yet another sad story in the continent, just like the Ivory Coastern who don't know what choclate is yet they produce more than the half production of the world.
Shame
Within two years the gold reserves will be depleted. Do the workers and the locals know this? Big holes in their homeland.
French gold mine
I completely agree with Mike above. The Sudanese are getting very little from this. The reporting itself with video is quite good, except that the reporter does not go into all aspects of gold production as he should. A superb video from france 24, but not good as far as deeper reporting goes.
Where in this report is Areva's responsibitlity to the locals?
I had a hard time getting my head around the fact that the only thing these locals are getting out of this mine is getting fed. There's no transfer of skills or knowledge, no roads, schools, or hospitals. At least Areva as a an international company could give much more back than just food knowing darn well that these locals don't know any better. It's no surprise to me that the original intent of the colonizers which always has been to export Africa's resources is still alive and well. However, when China at least tries to build roads and bridges and come in friendship as they themselves call it, these same western governments and their media are making all kinds of accusations. Case in point was during the 2008 olympics. Does Areva have any shame at all and when it's all done they won't even restore the land to its original state unless some environmental group pursues them and these locals will be left with nothing?