Koidu City, Sierra Leone (June 20, 2023) Koidu and its surrounding communities could not hide their utter shock and dismay over a judgement announced on Monday June 19, 2023, in Abuja, Nigeria, by the ECOWAS Court of Justice, regarding gross human right abuses they have suffered at the hands of the Sierra Leonean government and Koidu Limited over the years.
The Court ruled that the community members had not adequately proven their case, despite the extensive testimony and documentation of violence and economic and environmental devastation that they submitted, and the fact that the Sierra Leone government neglected even to mount a defense or to deny the claims.
While the Sierra Leone courts have erected numerous roadblocks to justice, the communities had believed they could receive a fair hearing before the regional ECOWAS Court. This devastating judgment raises doubts that there is any forum in which they can obtain justice for the devastating consequences and various abuses caused by the mining operations of Koidu Limited, with the complicity of the Sierra Leonean government.
Details in a Press Release soon
Source: Public Interest Lawyering Initiative for West Africa (PILIWA)
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