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Botswana Approves Gope Environment Impact Assessment
By Avi Krawitz Posted: 11/13/08 09:58
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RAPAPORT... Botswana approved an environmental impact assessment (EIA) study for the development of the Gope mine, the Gope Exploration Company reported. The move allows Gope, a subsidiary of Gem Diamonds, to start negotiations for a mining license on the site in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. The approval is significant, given the high-profile controversy surrounding the activities of previous owner De Beers in the area.

Nongovernment organization (NGO) Survival International led a campaign to boycott De Beers’ products to protest the impact that the mine was having on the indigenous Bushmen community in the area. The campaign drew heightened awareness when Survival recruited supermodels Iman and Lily Cole to stop working for De Beers.

Gem Diamonds bought the Gope mine from De Beers in June 2007 for $34 million and embarked upon the EIA to clear its plans to develop the mine. Haile Mphusu, managing director of Gope Exploration Company, said the company consulted widely with all interested and affected parties in the EIA.

Survival said in October that it was ready to repeat the campaign to protect the Bushmen's interests. It accused Gem Diamonds of operating while Bushmen “are still being bullied and harassed and are unable to get any proper legal advice.”

“We did this over a seven-month period across a 400 kilometer radius around the proposed site,” Mphusu said. “What is noteworthy is that everywhere we went we were constantly humbled by the overwhelming support we received from the communities.” He pledged to continue to consult with all affected parties as it progresses in developing the mine.

According to its website, Gem Diamonds hopes to develop Gope into a producing mine by 2010.



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