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TENSION MOUNTS IN KONO AS GOVERNMENT DELAYS COMMISSION REPORT
About this event: 4th World Youth Congress - Quebec City 2008

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CAMPAIGN FOR JUST MINING (CJM)

PRESS RELEASE

TENSION MOUNTS IN KONO AS GOVERNMENT DELAYS COMMISSION REPORT

CIVIL SOCIETY DEMANDS AN IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE REPORT OF THE JENKINS-JOHNSTON COMMISSION OF INQUIRY TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

The Campaign for Just Mining is worried about the unexplained delay of government in releasing the report of the “Jenkins-Johnston Commission of Inquiry” set up by government to look into last December’s disturbances in Kono that left two civilians dead and many more injured. Our worry and fear stems from the fact that any further delay is a clear recipe for further tensions in the affected mining communities with the continued silence of the government creating room for increased speculation, rumor mongering and provocation. It is common knowledge that the people are tired of waiting for the outcome of the report and therefore demand the speedy release of the report because the nation is yearning for it.

The fear of the affected communities and Civil Society is borne out of the fact that many Commissions of Inquiry have been set up by governments in the past and huge chunks of tax payers’ money used to support their operations; however, most of their reports were never produced; where they were produced, they were not made public, nor were the recommendations of these reports implemented and, in circumstances where the reports were produced and implemented they were done so without the participation of the affected communities or the people in general. We consider these actions as a complete betrayal of the people’s trust in those administrations.

It would be recalled that the government set up the Jenkins-Johnston Commission of Inquiry on 17 December 2007 on a certificate of urgency, and assured the nation that the Commission would complete its work and submit a report within THREE WEEKS; whereas, 14 weeks down the line, the report has only been submitted to the government with neither the affected communities nor the general public having any knowledge about it contents.

We strongly believe that the government that established the Commission has a fundamental constitutional and moral responsibility to explain (without waiting for someone to demand) to the people of this country the outcome of the Commission’s findings. Being mindful of the fact that, the swift intervention of government to establish the Commission helped to pacify growing tensions that were heading to full-blown crisis in the district. We further believe that the earlier release of the report will ameliorate the situation.

The Campaign therefore demands that:-
1. The government makes public the report of the Jenkins-Johnston Commission of Inquiry without any further delay. The nation is yearning for it.

2. Government ensures that the recommendations of the Commission are subjected to stakeholders consultations prior to implementation.

We are with the view that all of these measures will lead to the peaceful resolution of the conflict between Koidu Holdings Limited and the affected mining communities in Kono and contribute to a large extent to human security in the country.

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN
The Campaign for Just Mining is a coalition of civil society organizations working on mining and environmental issues. It is a platform that advocates for social responsibility, transparency and accountability in the mining and extractive industry, as well as for better living conditions of host mining communities. The establishment of the Campaign was initiated and supported by the Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD) in 2000.

DATED THURSDAY 4th APRIL 2008

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
CAMPAIGN FOR JUST MINING
29 Main Motor Road Brookfields Freetown
CELLPHONE: +232-33-453073 /+232-77-251698/+232-033-878341/+232-077-503511/232-33-752171/232-76-714561


April 4, 2008 | 7:17 AM Comments  0 comments

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