by Larry Powell
According to Canada's National Observer, complaints of human rights and environmental abuses against Calgary-based, Recon Africa, have been piling up, unheeded for almost a-year-&-a-half. Recon has been drilling for oil near a world-heritage, wildlife preserve in Namibia for some time now.
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| The cheetah. Photo by shani. |
It's an oasis for endangered wildlife such as cheetahs, white rhinoceros, lions and African elephants.
SOUL, a coalition including indigenous people living in that area, filed a 187-page complaint with the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) about 500 days ago now. Apparently the main reason it's being ignored is because the head position at CORE has been vacant for some time, and remains so today!
SOUL alleges the company has ignored the rights of community members there to health, water, food and adequate housing. It also claims, Indigenous rights of free, prior and informed consent to operations in their territory have been ignored, as well.
“At a time when the Carney government is laser focused on becoming an energy superpower … it’s concerning that Canada's approach to promoting responsible business abroad has come to this.” Sandra Wisner, director of the International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto.
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