DUE DILIGENCE FOR RESPONSIBLE SECURITY IN TANZANIA
Field-Based Review at the North Mara Gold Mine
In December 2024 we visited Tanzania to engage with Member and Affiliate companies and key stakeholders in support of responsible security provision. We are grateful to ICoCA Observer Barrick for hosting us at the North Mara Gold Mine in Northern Tanzania.
As part of the due diligence that ICoCA conducts on its Member and Affiliate companies we engaged a wide range of stakeholders in the lead-up to and during the visit – including private security personnel, senior mine management, public security, community police, civil society and local community representatives. These engagements allowed us to understand both the operational environment and the perspectives of different rightsholders.
The visit included a field-based review of SGA Tanzania at the Barrick North Mara Gold Mine, following a United Nations Joint Communication by Special Rapporteurs (AL OTH/44/2024, 22 April 2024) which alleged human rights violations at the mine, including by SGA Tanzania. As a result of the review, ICoCA compiled a detailed report and a set of recommendations which were shared with SGA Tanzania, SGA Security and Barrick. No credible evidence was found implicating SGA in human rights abuses and a public summary report of the review is now available (see below).
Operating in complex and high-risk environments is never easy and there are rarely simple solutions. What’s critical, however, is a genuine commitment to responsible security provision, one that respects all rightsholders, and a willingness to learn and adapt through deep and sustained community engagement.
We were also pleased to meet with other Member and Affiliate companies during our visit in Tanzania. A big thank you to Insight Security, G4S Tanzania, Suma JKT, Sunshine Security, GardaWorld and SGA Security Tanzania for inviting us to celebrate their 40th anniversary and the opening of their new offices – the first private security company to operate in the country.
We look forward to continuing this important journey with all of our partners.