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Hururu Council submits new proposals to RUSAL

May 12, 2013 News

 

–    Deputy Toshao optimistic end to dispute in sight

By Michael Jordan
Following a seven-hour meeting with officials from the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, members of the Hururu Village Council on Thursday submitted new proposals to the Russian firm, RUSAL, regarding the leasing of land and access to a key roadway.
Deputy Toshao Victor Walker and Minister of Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai, later expressed optimism that an end to the current dispute is in sight.
Walker told Kaieteur News Thursday evening that among the proposals submitted in writing to RUSAL was that RUSAL pay increased costs for the land that it has leased from the village; that the bauxite firm constructs a new roadway that will provide residents with access to logging concessions, and that villagers be allowed to use the roadway it has leased to RUSAL until the new one is completed.
The Deputy Toshao said that RUSAL had already promised to carry out a number of developmental projects in the community.
The proposals were submitted after Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, and other senior Ministry officials met for several hours with members of the Hururu Village Council and a few villagers.
Minister Sukhai said that the meeting was held to discuss proposals that the Council and RUSAL made on May 3 regarding the dispute. These centered primarily on the leasing of land to RUSAL and the blocking of a key roadway.
“This meeting is to re-examine the proposals made by both parties on March 3. They are closing in on a decision… at the end of this meeting they will be responding to the company in writing.”
Ms. Sukhai told Kaieteur News that she was there to provide “guidance and advice” to the Village Council regarding the leasing of land.
“I am representing the Village Council and the villagers; there are positions on which the community needs guidance.”
However, similar optimism was not expressed by some of the villagers. One resident expressed concern that the villagers will fail to get some of their key demands. The resident said he was also unhappy that no Regional officials were present at Thursday’s discussions.
He alleged that officials from the Amerindian Affairs Ministry “turned down” a suggestion from villagers that Region Ten officials attend the meeting. However, Ms. Sukhai said that this suggestion was never made.
The dispute between RUSAL and the Upper Berbice residents escalated in late April after RUSAL set up a checkpoint at a roadway that villagers had been using for decades, but which the Council had leased to RUSAL.
Residents alleged that this had prevented them from having access to logging concessions and harvesting millions in already cut logs.
Residents had responded by blocking the roadway and stringing coils of rope across the Berbice River to prevent RUSAL barges from traversing the waterway.
Deputy Toshao Victor Walker and other villagers had blamed former members of the Village Council of entering into an agreement which was more advantageous to RUSAL than to their community.
He had explained that around 2005, members of the previous Council leased several acres of land at Kurubuka (located some seven miles from Hururu) to RUSAL for $1.2M per month. They also leased the Hururu roadway for $1.1M per month. This money is paid to the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and some $1M is deducted and paid to RUSAL monthly for electricity.
Walker also explained that the former Village Council also agreed that logging near the mining site would cease once RUSAL commenced mining.
Minister Sukhai had confirmed these agreements but charged that the unrest in Hururu is at the foot of a handful of loggers refusing to adhere to the previous arrangements which the community and RUSAL had entered into.

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