Possible UN ban of Eritrea mines ‘defies logic’

Possible UN ban of Eritrea mines ‘defies logic’

Metal Bulletin | October 19, 2011

A UN draft resolution that would ban mining companies from investing in Eritrea and impose an import ban on minerals from the country has come under fire by operators inside the country, branding the paper illogical

A UN draft resolution that would ban mining companies from investing in Eritrea and impose an import ban on minerals from the country has come under fire by operators inside the country, branding the paper illogical. “It’s not logical,” said Chalice Gold Mines’ executive chairman, Tim Goyder, whose company is developing the Zara gold mine in Eritrea and has eight more exploration licences. “On the one hand the UN wants to fight poverty in the East African region, driving development in countries like Eritrea, but then on the other hand impose sanctions that would achieve quite the opposite.” He added that he thought the draft paper was “politically driven by the antagonism between Ethiopia and Eritrea.