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Company Response

27 Jan 2017

Author:
ITM Mining (Angola)

ITMs response to allegations against Bikuari Segurança Privada in Lunda Norte

[The introductory letter summary in Portuguese is available here and the response summary in English is below]

A video was brought to the attention of the Board of Direcors of ITM (the Board) by its representative at the Sociedade Mineira do Cuango around the 17th June 2016 accusing Bikuari Segurança Privada…of allegedly abusing illegal miners in the Dambi area of the Cuango on the 21st April 2016. The Board has seen the video and found it horrific, repugnant and shocking and…solicited a response and clarification from the Cuango, the concessionaire of the area with respect to the accusations…The Board has noted that the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (the Centre) has made a claim that they have requested ITM Mining Limited (ITM) to respond to the video referent Bikuari. ITM publicly declares that no contact was received from the Centre…In response to our request, Cuango received the reply…from the subcontracted security company Bikuari and which was then sent to ITM and its Board. Bikuaris’ response…emphasizes that they clearly admit the video was made by ex-Bikuari employees and affirm that the video was not filmed within the area of Cuango but was made in a different diamond concession namely Calonda (some 500 km distant from Cuango), and that it was made in 2014 and not 2016. Bikuari were the contracted security company in Calonda in 2014 and took the actions detailed in the annexed letter…ITM would like to take this opportunity to vehemently condemn and repudiate all acts of aggression, abuse, and any other actions that violate people’s life and dignity…[I]t is not, has never been and nor will it ever be a policy of the Company or companies in which it participates to contemplate, implement and practi[c]e actions against the population with the intention of committing atrocities and abuses…Andrew Machin, Shareholders representative to Sociedade Mineira do Cuango

Part of the following timelines

Angola: Maka Angola denuncia alegações de tortura de garimpeiros por seguranças da Bikuari; a empresa, a Sociedade Mineira do Cuango e ITM Mining negam as acusações

Angola: Maka Angola denounces alleged torture of miners by Bikuar security guards; the company, Sociedade Mineira do Cuango and ITM Mining deny the accusations