Fatal Transactions: Latest News

Civil Society Coalition Calls for a New Compensation Body to Address Oil Spills in the Niger Delta

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:10:09 GMT

Fatal Transactions as part of a Civil society coalition has called for active measures to address oil spills and environmental degradation in the Niger Delta, which has been engulfed by violent conflict over the past decade. BP’s Gulf of Mexico disaster has heightened international concerns about the environmental dangers of offshore drilling around the world and led to President Obama declaring it America’s “environmental 9/11”. This oil spill has been correctly identified as a massive emergency and it is time to recognise that the ongoing oil spills, conflict and human rights abuses in the Niger Delta should also be acknowledged as an emergency demanding a concerted international response.

Diamond meeting ends without consensus on Zimbabwe Serious challenges ahead for landmark certification scheme, say NGOs

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:07:17 GMT

The lack of consensus among Kimberley Process (KP) certification scheme members over whether Zimbabwe can resume diamond exports from the troubled Marange area was welcomed by the KP civil society coalition today as the ‘least bad’ outcome. The scheme’s annual meeting in Tel Aviv broke up without agreement after through-the-night talks.

The Marange diamond fields have been plagued with violence over recent years. A joint work plan was agreed last year between the Kimberley Process and the Zimbabwean government, which aimed at bringing Zimbabwe back into line with the scheme’s minimum requirements. Almost no progress has been made on key aspects of this plan, including smuggling and demilitarisation of the diamond fields. Despite this, a number of governments supported a resumption of exports at this week’s meeting.

Campaigners denounce effort to silence whistle-blower before international meeting on conflict diamonds

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:57:13 GMT

The Zimbabwe authorities should immediately release Farai Maguwu, a prominent activist who reported abuses in Zimbabwe's notorious Marange diamond fields, the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition said today.

The call coincided with a June 21 meeting in Tel Aviv of the Kimberley Process (KP), an international government-led certification scheme established to prevent the trade in blood diamonds.

ECOS report: UNPAID DEBT. The Legacy of Lundin, Petronas and OMV in Sudan, 1997-2003

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:52:51 GMT

ECOS calls for Oil Company Investigation Over Sudanese Human Rights Abuses Fatal Transactions member IKV/Pax Christi, as part of a group of aid agencies that worked in Sudan during the civil war, reporting together as the European Coalition on Oil in Sudan (ECOS), has called for an investigation into the role played by a consortium of oil companies in the conflict and their possible complicity in the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Rights groups express outrage at state persecution of Zimbabwean activists

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:56:16 GMT

UPDATE (04/06/2010):
Farai Maguwu, director of the Centre for Research and Development (CRD) from Zimbabwe, has been detained by Zimbabwean police since June 3, 2010. Last September, we published his plea to suspend Zimbabwe from the Kimberley Process.

The state-sponsored harassment and intimidation of the Zimbabwean Centre for Research and Development (CRD), which has exposed ongoing human rights abuses in Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond fields, must stop. The monitoring arrangement of the Kimberley Process with Zimbabwe should be suspended.

New publication: Zgubne Transakcje. Fatal Transactions

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:24:01 GMT

D. Kopiński, A. Polus (eds.), 2010, Zgubne Transakcje. Fatal Transactions, Difin: Warszawa.

"China's quest for African resources: the new scramble or strategic partnership": Successful International Conference and Winter School at the University of Wroclaw, Poland, December 2009

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:14:35 GMT

An International Conference and a Winter School at the University of Wroclaw, Poland, December 2009, question the nature of China’s engagement in the international extractives sector

Move of FT International Secretariat

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:18:08 GMT

From January 1st 2010 onwards, the International Secretariat of the network will no longer be hosted by Niza/ActionAid, Netherlands.

Another member of the Fatal Transactions network, the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC) in Germany, takes over the coordination of the network.

New Dossier Online: Uranium Mining in Africa

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:21:16 GMT

A new dossier is available on the Fatal Transactions website: "Uranium Mining in Africa". The dossier describes the ins and outs of uranium mining and milling in Africa as well as the potential impact of uranium mining. In addition it discusses the links with the European Union and what the EU can do to promote uranium sustainable mining.

FT member BICC questions future of Kimberley Process Certification Scheme

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:44:56 GMT

In a press release issued on November 6th, Fatal Transactions member BICC expresses its great concern whether or not the Kimberley Process should continue to exist now it fails to act in Zimbabwe.

Failure to suspend Zimbabwe from Kimberley Process

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:32:37 GMT

Failure to suspend Zimbabwe from blood diamond scheme undermines efforts to end abuses and clean up international trade

A Plea to suspend Zimbabwe from the Kimberley Process

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:41:12 GMT

Farai Maguwu, director of the Centre for Research and Development (CRD) from Zimbabwe, is in Europe. He is here to lobby, together with other civil society organisations, for a suspension of Zimbabwe from the Kimberley Process.

DRC: Transparency activist Golden Misabiko out of jail

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:22:45 GMT

After almost one month in jail, Golden Misabiko, President of the African Association for the Protection of Human Rights in Katanga province (ASADHO/Katanga), has been released on bail on 20 August.

IPIS Report: Africa's Natural Resources in a Global Context

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:44:18 GMT

Fatal Transactions member IPIS has published a new report titled "Africa's Natural Resources in a Global Context". The report, which concentrates on non-renewable natural resources, aims to disentangle some of the processes that explain the paradox between Africaâ€™s natural wealth and its relatively limited level of economic development.

Diamond Trade in Zimbabwe finally put on hold?

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:09:22 GMT

The Review Mission of the Kimberley Process (KP) which visited Zimbabwe in June, has recommended to suspend Zimbabwe from the KP and stop Zimbabwean diamonds entering the world market. Civil society organisations, including Fatal Transactions, have been calling for suspension of Zimbabwe since December last year when severe human rights abuses and killings were reported at the diamond mines in Chiadzwa. The main perpetrators of this violence being the Zimbabwean army and police forces themselves.

DRC: Niza calls for the immediate release of transparency activist Golden Misabiko

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:22:15 GMT

Golden Misabiko, Chair of the African Association for the Protection of Human Rights (ASADHO) in Katanga, was arrested on 24 July and remains in custody in Lubumbashi. TimothÃ©e Mbuya, Vice-Chair of ASADHO/Katanga, was also arrested on 24 July but subsequently released on the same day. Niza calls for the immediate release of Golden Misabiko and asks for all charges against him to be dropped. Niza urges the Congolese government to ensure the free participation of civil society in debates on the management of Congo's mineral resources and to safeguard the security of transparency advocates.

New IPIS report on impact global financial crisis in Katanga DRC

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:50:21 GMT

This new IPIS publication examines the impact of the global financial crisis on the mining sector in Katanga, the southeast province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As far as the industrial mining sector is concerned, it is shown that the crisis exacerbated the uncertainty of mining companies that were waiting for the results of the review of the mining contracts and that were often in the middle of starting up or expanding their activities in Katanga.

NGO appeal to Swedish EU Presidency for stronger action in conflict eastern DRC

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:46:31 GMT

Fatal Transactions Coordinator speaks out against Zimbabwean conflict diamonds

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:06:10 GMT

Last Tuesday, as a result of the trial against the former Liberian President and warlord Charles Taylor, Fatal Transactions International Coordinator Anneke Galama spoke out against blood diamonds and Zimbabwe in the media.

Press Release: Blood diamonds - time to plug the leaks

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:51:54 GMT

From tomorrow June 23 (until Thursday June 25) the annual intercessional meeting of the Kimberley Process will take place in Windhoek, Namibia. At the dawn of this meeting, Fatal Transactions has co-signed a press release warning that the Kimberley Process is potentially failing its objectives. The coalition of civil society groups has said that despite having all the tools in place, the scheme was failing to address effectively issues of non-compliance, smuggling, money laundering and human rights abuses in the worldâ€™s alluvial diamond fields.