Mercury treaty summit criticized for inaction on gold mining crisis

Mercury treaty summit criticized for inaction on gold mining crisis

A global mercury summit in Geneva has faced criticism from environmental and Indigenous groups for failing to act on mercury use in small-scale gold mining, the world’s top source of mercury pollution and a growing threat to the Amazon.

Energy Ministry grants license to Eurogold to operate in Mubende

Ugandan-owned Eurogold, the nation’s first fully local refinery, secures a mining license in Mubende to partner with artisanal gold miners. KAMPALA, Uganda — The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development has issued a mining license to Eurogold, a refinery company owned by Ugandan entrepreneur Bernard Feni, granting it official status to begin operations in Mubende. The license followed a recent partnership agreement between Eurogold, noted as t…

Mining ministry tightens gold trade rules, limits export to licensed firms only

The Minister of Mining Martin Gama Abucha has issued a new order to regulate the gold trade and curb illegal mining activities in the country. The order, dated November 6, restricts the buying, selling, and exporting of gold to companies holding mineral trading licenses. It states that companies with small-scale mining licenses are only allowed to sell their gold locally to any Minerals Trading License holder in South Sudan. The directive also s…

Mercury Treaty Fails to Address the Gold Mining Crisis

Geneva-Despite the growing crisis of mercury contamination in the Amazon, Africa and parts of Asia caused by mercury use in small-scale gold mining (also called artisanal and small-scale gold mining, ASGM), at the Sixth Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention this week delegates failed to take strong action toward amending the Convention to ban this use of mercury. The concerns are especially urgent in Latin America, where food sour…