PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC – President Jennifer Greelings-Simons is calling for restraint as the deadline given by police for illegal miners to leave the areas of the Chinese-owned Zijin/Rosebel Gold Mines (RGM), where a fatal accident recently occurred.
Police have given the miners until Friday to vacate the area completely, and that all illegal miners must dismantle their camps, and take all personal belongings and materials with them. They said after the evacuation, the area must remain empty.
Talks have been taking place, but the head of state believes that harsh measures may not be necessary if clear agreements can be reached.
“If good agreements are made, then you don’t have to act with a heavy hand,” she said, adding that stopping the mining operations would also have financial consequences for the country.
“Zijin must be able to operate. The government has a 30 per cent stake in it. If the company stands still, the entire country loses money. So it’s not just Zijin, but also Surinam,” she added.
“Solutions must be found for the various parties so we can move forward in peace. People who want to search for gold should be assigned a location and not be allowed to run around where mining and digging are taking place. That’s dangerous. On the other hand, there are also people from the surrounding area; it’s a historical issue.”
The situation between the miners and the multinational has escalated again after an incident in which one of the small-scale gold miners died within the Zijin concession area. Heavy equipment was set on fire. Employees of the multinational have been recalled, while security forces have struggled to restore order.
Last month. Natural Resources Minister, David Abiamofo, described as “unacceptable and very serious” the existing situation at the mines.
Rosebel Gold Mines was established on May 8, 2002. The company became a subsidiary of Zijin Mining on February 1, 2023. Rosebel is located in the Brokopondo and Sipaliwini Districts in northern Suriname. It is one of the largest in-production gold mines in South America, and according to its website, it produced a total of 5.65 million ounces of gold from 2004 to 2021, with an annual average of 314,000 ounces.
In a statement, RGM confirmed that “a serious security incident occurred” on January 23 and that “unauthorised individuals entered a restricted and active mining site without permission. “Tragically, one individual fell within the pit area and lost his life,” RGM said, adding that “any loss of life is tragic, and the company recognises the profound impact such events have on families and communities”.
President Greelings-Simons confirmed that the residents of the village of Nieuw-Koffiekamp, which lies within the multinational’s concession area, will also be involved in the ongoing talks.
“People shouldn’t actually be there because it’s dangerous. But on the other hand, we also need to know what’s going on. I’ve asked that we talk to the people first before taking any other measures. We’re listening to the people through various channels,” she said even as she acknowledged that she didn’t know whether Friday’s evacuation would go ahead.
“I’ve asked that as much dialogue as possible take place before taking action. If good agreements have been made with the people, there’s no need to resort to heavy-handed tactics.”
President Geerlings-Simons said that several factors complicate the regulation of the gold sector.
“We can’t hide it: armed people are walking around in our country. All kinds of interests interfere with all sorts of things. It’s not a simple matter. That’s why the government is trying to map everything out properly.”
She said that the regulation also requires a huge investment in the security services. “We are working internationally and nationally to improve oversight.”
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