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A violent incident last week at a new mining site in Ethiopia run by Kefi Gold and Copper led to multiple deaths and a suspension of operations, the company has said.
Work at the prospective gold mine in Tulu Kapi, in Ethiopia’s central Oromia region, began in March. It was due to start production in 2028.
The company said on Monday there had been “a serious security incident resulting in multiple fatalities”. It did not specify the nature of the incident last Friday or how many people were killed, but said the casualties included security personnel, members of the local community and one employee.
Oromia is Ethiopia’s largest and most populous region.
It was not clear who carried out Friday’s attack, though the area suffers widespread insecurity, including a long-running insurgency by local ethnic nationalists.
Work has been suspended at Tulu Kapi pending talks with the government and stakeholders on security.
Kefi Gold and Copper, which also operates sites in Saudi Arabia, was building a road and electrifying the site and said it had a plan to compensate displaced local communities.
The office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.
Gold exports generated $5.65 billion last year, according to the mines ministry—a crucial source of foreign exchange.
In January, Human Rights Watch urged authorities to suspend operations at the country’s largest gold mine at Lega Dembi, also in Oromia, following reports that toxic chemicals in the soil were endangering the health of children.
