Ethiopia’s prime minister recently touted the country’s mining resources and said the industry could achieve a historic milestone by generating up to $2 billion in gold revenue this year. He made the comment while inaugurating a gold exploration and mining factory in the Gambella Region.
On Dec. 10, Abiy Ahmed reported that Ethiopia’s economy is "one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa and a beacon of opportunity on the continent."
"Among its many thriving sectors, the gold mining industry stands out as a significant driver of growth, presenting immense potential for both local and international investment," he said on social media.
But officials in Tigray, one of the richest gold mining regions in Ethiopia, say they are losing resources without benefit for their region at a time when Tigray is trying to recover from two years of brutal war between local rebels and the federal government.
The interim president of Tigray, Getachew Reda, speaking on Nov 15 said during the three and half months prior (August, September and October) "28.25 quintals of Gold entered into the Federal Government." "The government has not received a single penny," he said.
Ethiopia’s Commercial Bank, through its branch in Shire Inda Selasse, the hub of the gold in Tigray, recently bought $132 million worth of gold in just three months, according to branch manager Tekie Giday. The Tigray region’s entire budget for this year is nearly $100 million.
Officials in Tigray said the region is struggling with budget shortfalls as it attempts to bring back services discontinued or destroyed during the war.
Environmental fears
In addition to lack of economic benefits, officials in Tigray reported that gold mining has exposed some of the region’s residents to dangerous chemicals like mercury and cyanide, which are used for extracting gold.
Residents living close to the mining fields say the chemicals have been harmful to humans and livestock, with reports of deformed skin on cows and degraded farmland, witnesses and officials said.
Some residents in Tigray’s Northwest region have gone to the courts seeking justice, to get judges to act against goldminers, who they accuse of polluting the environment and causing ill health to their children.
The president of the High Court of the Northwest, Judge Mengistu Teklay, told VOA that chemicals used by miners are becoming the source of health, security and stability concerns.
"Utilizations of natural resources must be governed by law and order. It shouldn’t benefit the few individuals," Mengistu said. "Those individuals who benefit from these resources should not be allowed to bring safety concerns, existential threats, and health concerns to the unbenefited public."
Cyanide and mercury have both been used during the mining process in Tigray, according to multiple interviews conducted by VOA’s Horn of Africa Service. The World Health Organization identifies mercury as one of the top 10 chemicals or chemical groups posing public health concerns.
Alarmed by the use of the chemicals, Ethiopia’s Bureau of Innovation and Technology, a government body tasked with overseeing the country’s science and technological development, asked Tigrayan regional government institutions to take action to prevent unsafe use of the chemicals.
Gizachew Weldetsadik Beyene is director of the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Department in Tigray’s Bureau of Innovation and Technology. He said a team from the bureau posing as traditional miners traveled to the mining areas and saw what he called a "sad" situation.
"It is so scary," Gizachew said, sharing a video of a cow affected by the chemicals, and pictures of women washing the soil using chemicals in search of gold without safety protocols and with their bare hands.
"We’ve seen the damage to animals, to the land, the soil, to people who use running water and suffer, with their skin damaged, the animals which are drinking that water and exposed to dangerous diseases," Gizachew said.
Action taken
The Tigray region’s Cabinet this week called for a halt to goldmining. The announcement was made by the deputy president of Tigray’s interim administration, Lieutenant General Tsadkan Gebretinsae. He did not elaborate about when the suspension will start and how the measure will be implemented.
Prior to that, the Tigray Communication Affairs Bureau said in a statement that action was taken against people who were using illegal dangerous chemicals to process gold in Tahtay Koraro district near a dam that is a source of potable water for the city of Shire Inda Selasse.
No details were given about the actions and the type of chemicals used.
A security source who requested anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media alleged that foreign companies are working with Ezana Mining Development, a local mining company.
The head of Ezana company, Tesfatsion Desta, did not initially respond to VOA calls.
After a VOA Tigrigna Service radio report aired, Ezana put out a statement saying it was not asked to comment on the story, which it called "distorted."
In the statement, Ezana said it worked with foreign companies before the Tigray war. The statement continued that because of insecurity and instability, however, these companies did not come back after the war.
The company said the gold factory located in Northwest Tigray’s Asgede district, in the Tabia Lemat area, is free from pollution, waste and environmental distraction.
Without naming a specific country, Tigray President Getachew told the region’s diaspora community in a Zoom meeting that he believes more gold than reported is smuggled out of Ethiopia.
Getachew said what is happening in Tigray is becoming "a crime."
"It is a very serious problem. It is not just robbery. People are losing their animals because of the dangerous chemical used by the miners. There are people who are known to participate in this network from top to bottom among government and security officials."
VOA’s repeated attempts to get comment from the Tigray Bureau of Land and Mining and the Mining Ministry, as well as the National Bank of Ethiopia, were unsuccessful.
This story originated in VOA's Horn of Africa Service.
