Business & Economy

Suriname threatens to forcibly evict illegal miners after landslide that killed 15

San Juan, Nov 22 (EFE) – Suriname’s Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk on Wednesday ordered the dozens of illegal gold miners still present in the Matawai region in the south of the country to leave immediately, saying there was still danger after a landslide on Monday left at least 15 dead.

In remarks broadcast on the radio, Brunswijk warned that the miners would be “forcibly evicted” if they did not leave.

“There is still a risk of another collapse,” the vice president said, noting that miners claim more people are missing. The accident is the worst mining disaster in the country’s history.

Rescue teams, along with the miners, are continuing to search for the people missing, but the search has been hampered by the risk of new collapses.

Regarding the incident, Brunswijk explained that it did not occur in a tunnel, as previously reported, but near a mountain.

“Large amounts of sand fell on the miners who were searching for gold in a vein that had been discovered,” he explained.

The discovery of a gold vein recently attracted groups of illegal miners to the area, where the Chinese company Zijin Mining operates legally.

At the request of this company, which acquired Rosebel Goldmines from IamGold earlier this year, the police and army evicted a large number of illegal miners a few weeks ago, but many of them returned days later.

The tragedy has reopened the debate on the regulation of the mining sector and on the land rights of Indigenous communities, as denounced today by the opposition party Brotherhood and Political Unity.

The Matawai are Maroons, descendants of Africans who escaped from slavery and formed their own settlements, who signed a peace treaty with the Dutch colonists in 1762.

In the area where the disaster occurred, there have been clashes in recent years between the security teams of mining companies and the Maroons who claim their right to these lands.

In this context, the vice president stated that “it is necessary to bring order to the gold sector,” something that has been discussed for three years, but is difficult to implement without resources.

“Talking to gold seekers does not help. When people see gold, they stop thinking. They look for gold without thinking that they could lose their lives,” he lamented.

The Surinamese government has declared Thursday and Friday as days of national mourning. On both days, the Surinamese flag will fly at half-mast on government buildings, schools and ships in port. EFE

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