As always, the best reads from around the internet on resource politics in Africa:
Land grabbing in Tanzania
High hopes meet reality for Tanzanian farmers and land owners:
I just gave my land because we were convinced by a politician that it would make us rich. I knew I would get money for the land, and also get a well-paying job when the [investment] company began operations. Now they didn’t do anything and they sold our land to another company we didn’t even know,
Analysis: The poisoned chalice of Tanzania’s land deals (IRIN)
Monsanto's push for Africa
Monsanto, a U.S. company best known for its controversial genetically modified crops, is currently targeting African markets:
It gets problematic in the future, because the farmer has to continue to buy seeds from Monsanto instead of returning to the age-old way of growing maize, which is saving and reusing seeds.
Monsanto Brings Agro-Slavery to Africa (@lissnup)
Does Uganda benefit from its natural resources?
At the moment, the answer seems to be no and this needs to change:
Onesmus Mugyenyi, a policy analyst with the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment, a local policy research and advocacy think tank, explained that Uganda's poverty levels were closely related to its failure to sustainably exploit its natural resources.
Uganda: Country Needs to Exploit Its Own Mineral Riches (IPS/allAfrica)
Swiss company in trouble over handling Congolese conflict gold
Non-profit TRIAL has sued Swiss smelting company Argor-Haraeus for allegedly entering into business with Congolese warlords and conflict profiteers:
According to TRIAL, the gold in question was illegally mined by FNI and then sold in Uganda by a Congolese middleman, Kisoni Kambale, who trades in gold and owns an air transport company.
Congo-Kinshasa: NGO Files Complaint Against Swiss Company Over 'Pillaged' Gold (Deutsche Welle/allAfrica)
Amnesty International challenges Shell on oil spills in Nigeria
The international human rights organisation is not happy with the corporation:
Shell has claimed that... oil spill investigations are sound when they are not, that sites are cleaned up when they are not, and that the company is transparent when, in reality, it maintains very tight control over every piece of information - deciding what to disclose and what to withhold.
Advocacy Group Tackles Oil Companies Over Spills (allAfrica)
Amnesty International - 'Shell Must Come Clean On Niger Delta Oil Spills' (Deutsche Welle/allAfrica)
Shell's False Claims On Niger Delta Oil Spills Exposed (Amnesty International)
Other stuff:
- UK Lead On Oil and Mining Transparency Law Sends Strong Signal to U.S. (Global Witness/allAfrica)
- South Africa: Nation Uses Biogas to Turn Waste Into Power (Voice of America/allAfrica)
- Zambia president threatens to shelve Konkola Copper’s licence over job layoffs (African Mining Brief)
- South Africa ready to issue fracking licenses (This is Africa)
- Tanzania publishes new rules for oil and gas companies (This is Africa)
- Maghreb, Europe Talk Green Energy Deals (Magharebia/allAfrica)
- Kenya: Tullow to Resume Kenya Operations Friday (CapitalFM/allAfrica)
- Investment Is Key to West Africa Renewable Energy Scheme (Voice of America/allAfrica)
- EU May Help Mineral Exporters From Eastern Congo (Voice of America/allAfrica)
- Africa: The Clean Energy Voyage (United Nations Environment Program/allAfrica)
- Rio Tinto admits Mozambique concerns (BBC)
- Nigeria: Jonathan sees reforming electricity supply as the key to re-election (African Arguments)