Dispute with Canadian gold company escalates…Local miners threaten return to Marudi Mountain area

Jan 29, 2018 News

Hundreds of small miners have appealed to government to fulfill a promise to address their concerns in the dispute with Romanex Guyana Exploration Limited over mining access to Marudi Mountain, Region Nine area.
President of the Marudi Miners Association, Marlon Johnson said close to 500 miners have really been stretched out and they are at breaking point now.
“The miners have decided that if they cannot get the appropriate approval from the Government by the end of the new week, they will go ahead and start back working, with or without approval,” Johnson stated.
Last year, a deal was brokered to regulate mining in the Marudi Mountain, about 70-80 miles from Lethem.
As part of an agreed menu of measures, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) facilitated the movement of miners to a new area that will accommodate structures and shops, so as to facilitate the smooth conduct of an ongoing Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) in the area, which Romanex is required by law to complete before full-fledged operations can commence.
Several blocks of mining lands for miners who are part of the miner’s association and former occupiers of Romanex Mining lands were also earmarked, while another was identified for administration by the Guyana Women Miners’ Organisation (GWMO) for its members who are operating in Mining District 6.
The new lands made available are alongside the Romanex concession. Romanex acquired the rights for the concession decades ago.

Local miners have previously protested mining in the Marudi Mountains area.

Marudi Miners Association president stated that the lands they have been given do not have any sort of gold potential.
“That seems more like a joke to us. The only place that has gold potential is on the two mountains. As such, we are requesting one mountain be given to us and the other to Romanex in order for everyone to earn a living,” Johnson noted.
According to Johnson, the small miners in the area initially started working two mountains that contain gold. The gold is found in the rocks, which means that it has to be processed with crushers.
The president noted that they are currently 70 crushers working, which employs a minimum of five persons each. He stated that Romanex promised the miners that if they move the landing to another location, they will be allowed to work.
Johnson stated that the landing was moved to a new location and up to this date Romanex has not allowed the people to recommence working.
“Some persons have already lost their proprieties to banks because they are unable to pay their loans. Many people have sold whatever little they had in order to invest in mining at Marudi and now the equipment is deteriorating and they are becoming frustrated and desperate. The way I see this situation, we are at a breaking point now, and everyone is getting desperate, there are talks of rioting against the company in order to recommence working,” Johnson noted.
He pointed out that President David Granger himself had promised the people that he would see to it that they would work. Additionally, he recalled that the Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, himself made promises to take action in favour of the small miners.
“We are kindly seeking Governmental intervention before the situation gets out of control,” Johnson stated.