Canadian firm postpones procedures following African mine death
(MENAFN) Canadian company First Quantum Minerals has temporarily suspended work at its Sentinel copper mine in Zambia following the death of an employee in a dump truck accident. The incident happened at a pit within the mine, located about 150 kilometers west of Solwezi in Zambia’s northwestern province, the company announced on Monday.
Operations in the accident area have been paused and will only resume once it is deemed safe to do so, the company said. Local authorities have been informed about the tragic event, and an internal investigation is underway.
First Quantum plays a significant role in Zambia’s copper-rich northwest, managing two major sites: the Kansanshi and Sentinel mines, both part of its broader Trident project. However, its operations have recently faced multiple fatal incidents, including a dump truck collision at Sentinel in 2023 and contractor deaths at Kansanshi. In September last year, an employee died after a collision between a tracked dozer and a light vehicle, and two contractors lost their lives in separate incidents in late 2022.
This latest tragedy comes amid a wave of African governments revoking or reviewing licenses held by major Western mining firms, often over disputes about unpaid taxes and royalties. For example, Niger’s military regime recently moved to nationalize Somair uranium, a joint venture operated by French state company Orano since 1971. Similar contract reviews and disputes have also emerged in Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali. Just last week, Mali temporarily removed Canadian miner Barrick from control of its largest gold operations due to alleged unpaid dues.
In 2023, First Quantum also lost its flagship copper mine in Panama after the country’s Supreme Court canceled its contract and blocked export permits.
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