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OPINION

A role for mining in protection
from extremism

The mining sector has a role in prevent- investments on the ground. local leaders to identify targeted training
ing and countering violent extremism Mining companies do not want to be a and potential employment programmes

in Africa. target for extremist groups nor do they for groups that may be disproportionately

Violent extremism and terrorism con- want to operate in an unstable environ- affected, then they may mitigate some of

tinue to threaten international peace and ment that threatens the safety of their the drivers.

security. employees or security of their supplies As the report sets out, the mining sec-

Across the African continent, groups and operations. In this regard, decisions tor is already engaged in a range of ac-

such as Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb by a mining company about its approach tivities that may exacerbate or mitigate

(AQIM), Boko Haram and al-Shabaab to security may positively or negatively drivers of violent extremism. Our field re-

contribute to insecurity, from the Sahel influence perceptions about the compa- search found several examples of mining

and the Lake Chad Basin across to the ny within the local community. An entirely sector engagement to support activities

Horn of Africa. Terrorist groups operating hard security approach may alienate the related indirectly to P/CVE programmes,

on the continent have a history of target- local community and be perceived as an namely in the areas of education and skill

ing both local and foreign interests, dem- unnecessary threat. Local communities development, empowering youth, engag-

onstrated most again with the attack on a can often be the best form of defence ing communities and gender equality and

Turkish café in Ouagadougou in August against potential security risks. If there empowering women. However, there is

2017 and the attack on the Mogadishu is poor engagement and interaction with no standard approach, guidance or good

markets in October 2017. the local community, it may serve to fuel practice guides to support companies

Foreign extractives companies operat- local grievances and potentially exacer- to ensure they are actually contributing

ing on the continent have been the target bate some of the drivers of violent ex- to initiatives that strengthen community

of direct attacks and kidnapping of their tremism. resilience to violent extremism, despite

employees by terrorist groups. It is well The mining sector also has several their vested interest in reducing these

understood that violent extremism poses structural characteristics that may di- threats.

a threat to the operations of mining com- rectly affect some of the drivers of violent There is a need for further engage-

panies in Africa. What is less well under- extremism. Projects are often located in ment across the sector with a range of

stood, however, is that mining companies geographically challenging areas where stakeholders – local communities, gov-

– as private sector actors and stakehold- there is poor governance and insecurity; ernments and international organisations

ers – also have a potential role in national the scale of operations can disrupt socio- – to ensure good practices are being

and regional efforts on the continent to economic development in an area; and identified, developed and shared.

prevent and counter violent extremism environmental impacts can affect liveli- It’s also important that the mining sec-

(P/CVE). hoods and local communities. These tor defines the ways it is willing to engage

This was one of several findings in characteristics, among others, mean that on P/CVE and its own limitations and re-

a new report released last month by a mining company can either exacerbate sponsibilities. That requires further dis-

the Australian Strategic Policy Institute or mitigate some of the potential drivers cussion and dialogue on the issues. This
(ASPI) – Preventing and countering vio- of violent extremism. new ASPI report presents a first step
lent extremism in Africa: the role of the in that effort. It is hoped the report will
mining sector. For example, a potential structural serve as a catalyst for debate about the
driver of violent extremism is margin-

This new report draws on a combi- alisation and discrimination. If a mining potential role of mining companies in P/

nation of desktop and field research to company fails to adequately assess local CVE. Events such as Mining Indaba and

examine the links between the mining needs and allows disparities in econom- Africa Down Under in 2018 will provide

sector and the potential drivers of violent ic benefits to particular ethnic or religious a valuable opportunity to progress those

extremism in sub-Saharan Africa. While groups, then this may exacerbate per- discussions in the year ahead.

the report focused on four case study ceptions of marginalisation. Alternative- The mining sector is well placed not

countries – Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya ly, if a company engages effectively with only to mitigate the risks of violent ex-

and Mali – the lessons have tremism in Africa, but

much broader application. also seize the opportuni-

The report finds that the ty to contribute to global

mining sector has several efforts to address this

reasons for stepping up its ongoing threat. As Khalid

engagement in efforts to Koser sets out in the fore-

prevent and counter violent word to the report: “The

extremism. global effort to prevent

First is the idea that Lisa Sharland is the head of international program at the Australian Stra- violent extremism can’t

mining companies have a tegic Policy Institute (ASPI). Tim Grice is the founding director of Leapfrog succeed without the pri-

direct interest in improv- International. Sara Zeiger is a senior research analyst at Hedayah. The vate sector.” The mining
ing the security of their report Preventing and countering violent extremism in Africa: the role of the sector is an important
operations, personnel and mining sector was published by ASPI in partnership with Hedayah.
part of that equation.

AUSTRALIA’S PAYDIRT DECEMBER 2017 - JANUARY 2018 PAGE 93