Tag: mining

Inside The Successful Campaign Against Illegal Chinese Mining In Africa

Tsitsi Bhobo Waging Nonviolence When the shrill of heavy earthmoving machinery crept towards Elias Mlambo’s riverside banana plantations in February, the sudden brownish color of the river alarmed him.  The water was laced with used machinery oil, disfiguring the once crystal-clear, wild water of the Haroni River. The river not only sustains the Ndau tribal people of… Read More Inside The Successful Campaign Against Illegal Chinese Mining In Africa

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Congo: A Tragedy in Many Parts Over Many Decades

Since independence, the Republic of Congo has been suffering from ethnic strife, armed rebellions and military interventions by neighbouring countries. The presence of valuable minerals has added fuel to the strife which has taken millions of lives. Can peace ever come to this troubled nation? D.J. Ravindran The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), formerly… Read More Congo: A Tragedy in Many Parts Over Many Decades

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As Naxalism Fades, Adivasi Futures Still Stand on Precarious Ground

Over a decade ago, a young IAS officer deployed in Bastar told this reporter that as much as they wanted Bastar to be freed from the Naxals, their ouster from the jungle would immediately lead to it being taken over by mining companies. Ashutosh Bhardwaj As the Maoist insurgency reaches its fag end with the… Read More As Naxalism Fades, Adivasi Futures Still Stand on Precarious Ground

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Whitewashing Gas Exploration in Post-Genocide Gaza

By Dan Steinbock / Informed Comment New York (Special to Informed Comment) – In December 2022, Israeli Ministry of Energy launched the Fourth Offshore Bid Round offering new exploration licenses. A year later, it awarded licenses to several Israeli and international companies: Eni (Italy), Dana Petroleum (UK, a subsidiary of a South Korean company, and Ratio… Read More Whitewashing Gas Exploration in Post-Genocide Gaza

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GSI’s Handbook on Northeast India Masks Extraction Behind Technicalities

NB: Congratulations to Bonojit, a former Ramjas College student; for his groundbreaking research and activism. DS The handbook casts the Northeast as a mineral-rich periphery, that is “underexplored” and ideal for private investment. Since March this year, around 55,000 bighas of land across Assam have either been cleared or marked for eviction. Of this, only… Read More GSI’s Handbook on Northeast India Masks Extraction Behind Technicalities

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China-backed militia secures control of new rare earth mines in Myanmar

REUTERS Beijing-backed UWSA protecting new rare earth mines in Shan state, sources say Mines being run by Chinese-speaking operators China relies on Myanmar for rare earth imports but had recently faced some supply challenges Rare earths offer Beijing leverage in trade war with Washington BANGKOK, June 12 (Reuters) – A Chinese-backed militia is protecting new… Read More China-backed militia secures control of new rare earth mines in Myanmar

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After the Diamond Rush

South Africa and the internationalization of mineral extraction Duncan Money At the 2025 African Mining Indaba, leaders from across the Continent met representatives from multilateral lending institutions, energy companies, and US national security agencies to discuss how to “position mining as the continent’s foremost industry, driving sustainable investment and fostering economic growth.” The conference location, in… Read More After the Diamond Rush

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Crude capitalism: How oil greases the wheels of the world market

New book exposes the power of oil – from colonialism, to post-Soviet Russia, to the current climate crisis Adam Hanieh Nearly four decades ago, a large team of scientists from around the world launched a major global research programme called the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). Their goal was to study the connection between human activities and… Read More Crude capitalism: How oil greases the wheels of the world market

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Honduran anti-mining activist who fought to save rivers is killed

The group had suffered threats and harassment for years amid efforts to preserve the Guapinol and San Pedro rivers, and the Carlos Escaleras nature reserve, amid the growing presence of mining and hydro-electric companies. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras Reuters —  An environmental activist who protested mining and hydro-electric projects in northern Honduras in an effort to preserve tropical forests and rivers… Read More Honduran anti-mining activist who fought to save rivers is killed

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