Medellín, Colombia – Zijin Mining Group, owner of Continental Gold, has filed a lawsuit against the Colombian state through the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, alleging negligence.
According to Ciar Global, an arbitration magazine for the Ibero-American community, the multinational had already announced its intention to sue in November 2023 after operations stopped in the north-western Buriticá gold mine following a terrorist attack.
Additionally, Colombian broadcaster Caracol Radio reported that the increased violence in the mine is due to the Clan del Golfo neo–paramilitary group, who have launched various coordinated attacks that have affected both workers and the mine’s infrastructure.
As per the broadcaster, the most recent attack happened on May 19, 2024, when informal miners tried to gain access to the mine through force, using firearms and explosives, while there were rumors of a group of workers being trapped in the mine.
“If it was true that people were trapped (in the mine), why would illegal miners not take any measures to evacuate or rescue them? Why did illegal miners use the situation to their benefit by intensifying the lethal and violent attacks against our security personnel?” Continental Gold stated at the time on X.
The Buriticá mine is the biggest underground gold mine in Colombia, with the capacity to process 3,000 tons of gold per day, as reported by Caracol Radio.
Zijin- Continental Gold has had the license to exploit the mine since 2020, when Chinese firm Zijin Mining Group acquired the previously-separate Toronto-based Continental Gold, according to Zijin.
According to Reuters, thousands of illegal miners extract gold from Buriticá through “dozens of tunnels and about 150 clandestine processing locations.” These tunnels are controlled by the Clan del Golfo, who take a 10% cut from the miners’ output.
The outlet also reported that the local community fears possible violence stemming from the illegal operations, in addition to the poisoning of the local watershed with mercury, which is used to separate gold from mined dirt.
The Colombian Attorney General’s Office announced investigations into State officials for potential negligence when approving protection guarantees to the workers of Zijin-Continental Gold.
“Apparently, the company had requested protection several times from the National Government and local authorities to safeguard the lives of their workers and guarantee the correct operation of the underground gold extraction,” the entity stated on July 18.
It is still unknown when the lawsuit proceedings will take place, according to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. The status of the case remains pending, although it has been accepted.
