Photo credit: Raid
Barrick Gold: killings and violence against
local communities (Tanzania)
Sector: Gold mining
Issues: Right to life, violence and unlawful killings
The companies: Barrick Gold is one of the largest gold mining companies in the world. It is
headquartered in Canada. Barrick Tz Ltd is a fully owned UK subsidiary of Barrick Gold. Barrick Tz,
previously known as Acacia Mining, operates three mines in Tanzania and is the country’s largest gold
producer.1 One of these mines is the North Mara mine, located in the Tarime district.
Affected rights holders: The Kurya or Kuria people are the majority ethnic group of Tarime district.2
Before the arrival of the mine, they lived on agriculture, livestock and artisanal mining. For the development
of the mine, some of the Kurya people were forced to sell their land below value. Others who were able
to remain were cut off from their traditional farming land or suffered from the environmental impacts of
mining due to insufficient buffer zones between residential areas and mine property.3
Details:
In 2020, ten Tanzanians brought a claim against Barrick Tz Ltd to the UK High Court for serious human
rights violations by security forces and the local police at the North Mara mine.4 The local Tanzanian
police force has a written agreement with the mine to provide security in and around the mine in exchange
for payment, equipment and accommodation. Together with the mine’s own security guards, they have
allegedly been responsible for the deaths of at least 77 people and wounding another 304 since 2006.5
The claim alleges three killings and multiple assaults through beatings and shootings by the security
forces and police. One of these instances occurred when some of the claimants were gathered around
the body of a nine year old girl who was crushed in a road accident with a mine vehicle. The crowd was
dispersed by security forces and/or the police allegedly opening fire without warning.6
In 2022, a total of 21 Tanzanian claimants also filed a case against the parent company Barrick Gold
in Canada. Moreover, in 2022 a claim was filed in the High Court in London against the London Bullion
Market Association (LBMA), which certifies gold as free from human rights abuses, for wrongly certifying
the North Mara gold mine. Both cases are ongoing.7
How could a UK Business, Human Rights and Environment Act
have made a difference?
In our assessment, under a UK Business, Human Rights and Environment Act, Barrick Tz Ltd would
have been obliged to ensure that both private guards and public forces employed or contracted to
provide security at the North Mara mine acted in full compliance with international human rights
standards. This includes those relating to security and human rights. This would have included clear
contractual clauses making respect for human rights a condition for the provision of security services,
effective monitoring and complaints mechanisms, and severe consequences for non-compliance,
including termination of the agreement.
While the legal action is ongoing and liability is yet to be determined, in our view, the UK Business,
Human Rights and Environment Act could have facilitated access to justice for the Kurya claimants.
Once they proved the harm, the onus would have been placed on Barrick Tz to demonstrate that it
met its duty to prevent. Under the UK law, it is possible that a court might have also considered
criminal liability.
Endnotes
1 Dun & Bradstreet (accessed 23 January 2023), “Barrick Tz Limited”.
2 Raid (13 December 2022), “Barrick’s Tanzania gold mine one of the deadliest in Africa”.
3 Raid (13 December 2022).
4 Raid (10 February 2020), “Tanzanian Victims Commence Legal Action in UK against Barrick”; Raid (14 August
2020), “More Tanzanian human rights victims join UK legal action against Barrick”.
5 Raid (13 December 2022).
6 Raid (10 February 2020).
7 Leigh Day (13 December 2022), “Legal claim launched against London Bullion Market Association following the deaths of two artisanal miners”.
8 BAT (2022), “Annual Report and Form 20-F 2021” 9; Imperial Brands (2022), “Annual Report and Accounts 2021” 72.
