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Response to PAX Report on 2012 Resettlement

Response to PAX Report on 2012 Resettlement

4 February 2025

Barrick is aware of the report published on 17 December 2024 by Dutch-based NGO PAX. The report alleges that the comprehensive resettlement undertaken in 2012 by Kibali, notably of affected households living in Megi and Bandayi villages, "likely, or at least not fully, did not take place", among other unsubstantiated and speculative allegations, including allegations in respect to the actions of the Congolese authorities (including the local police) during a Government-led resettlement of illegal settlements in October 2021.

Kibali has a long history of engagement with PAX commencing in 2015. Since then, we have remained transparent in providing information, including written correspondence since October 2022, as well as hosting PAX at site in September 2023. Kibali did not receive any further correspondence from PAX until July 2024.

It is regrettable that despite the open lines of communication, PAX decided to publish a report without first sharing a draft as well as their recommendations with us beforehand. Furthermore, despite nearly three years of engagement, PAX published their report less than 10 days after acknowledging receipt of information supplied by Kibali, with little to no consideration of the contents therein. Finally, we note that the copy of the meeting minutes from the Kibali site visit in September 2023 attached to the report have been have not been attached to the report. Those minutes were originally requested by PAX representative and report author and do not support some of the speculatory allegations in the report. We have published these minutes in full (see below).

We have also published the fulsome response provided by Kibali to PAX, which we believe has not been adequately considered in PAX investigation.

Barrick Response to PAX 22 November 2024

Most notably:

  • PAX’s central allegation is based on interviews with only 15 individuals, that are illegal occupants of an area under moratorium and was subject to a Kibali resettlement over ten years ago, while relying on aerial imagery that is from the wrong time period. In effect, there is no evidence to support the conclusion that resettlement ’likely, or at least not fully, did not take place’’.
  • PAX states that Kibali’s engagement with government authorities “to be ‘complicit’ in associated human rights abuses committed by the government.” Barrick rejects this statement in the strongest terms.
  • Kibali exercised its leverage by requesting government authorities to prepare an appropriate government-led resettlement plan resulting in government delaying the resettlement by seven months to October 2021. In addition, Kibali provided humanitarian assistance including 71,000 units of timber, 53, 850 metal sheets and drilling of six water boreholes.
  • PAX reports on protests occurring in the town of Durba and resulted in consequent violence between community members and the Congolese police. These protests were totally unrelated to Kibali and it is most unfortunate that, without any substance, PAX links them and the ensuring violence to Kibali by PAX. Congolese police and state authorities operate under their own chain of command and are not and cannot be under the supervision or direction of Kibali.
  • PAX’s recommendation for an investigation ignores that the Congolese government undertook and published a Parliamentary Commission.”