Canadian firm halts missions following African mine death
(MENAFN) Canadian mining company First Quantum Minerals has paused operations at one of its Trident project sites in Zambia after a fatal dump truck accident claimed the life of an employee. The incident occurred at the Sentinel copper mine, located around 150 kilometers west of Solwezi in Zambia’s northwestern province.
In a statement released on Monday, the company confirmed that activities in the affected area have been temporarily halted and will only resume once it is deemed safe to do so. Local authorities have been informed, and an internal investigation into the incident is currently underway.
First Quantum is a significant presence in Zambia’s copper-rich region, operating both the Sentinel and Kansanshi mines under its Trident project. However, its operations have been plagued by a series of deadly incidents in recent years. These include a dump truck collision at Sentinel in 2023 and multiple contractor deaths at Kansanshi. In September last year, an employee died in a collision involving a tracked dozer and a light vehicle. Another two contractor deaths were reported in separate incidents the year before.
This latest tragedy comes amid growing scrutiny of Western mining operations in Africa. Several countries, including Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali, are reassessing foreign mining contracts to increase national revenues. Just last week, Niger announced the nationalization of the Somair uranium mine, a project long run by France’s state-owned Orano.
Meanwhile, Mali temporarily revoked Canadian company Barrick’s control over its largest gold mine, citing tax and royalty issues. First Quantum has also faced setbacks outside of Africa—in 2023, it lost control of its flagship copper mine in Panama after the country's Supreme Court annulled its contract and authorities blocked its exports.
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