In a response to the report released on October 29th, 2002, by the World Bank's Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman on the Bulyanhulu mine, the Tanzanian Lawyers' Environmental Action Team (LEAT) states that it is deeply saddened by the report as it contains material inaccuracies, factual errors, unsupported claims, and unsubstantiated conclusions. The report goes so far as to challenge the undisputed facts that even Barrick Gold and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) had never disputed. The complaint had been filed by LEAT on behalf of the affected small-scale miners, regarding World Bank (MIGA) involvement in the Bulyanhulu mine and the removal of the miners. The summary report and the original complaint are available on LEAT's web site.
2 December 2002, 11:07am EST