Sierra Leone AML Strike (2012)
Mon Apr 16, 2012
Image: Kelly Conteh lies in hospital with a head wound after police opened fire at protesters in Bumbuna, in the north of Sierra Leone, in April 2012. Photograph: Finbarr O'Reilly/Reuters [theguardian.com]
On this day in 2012, workers at the London-based African Minerals Limited (AML) company went on strike in Bumbuna, Sierra Leone. The next day, protesters were fired upon and arrested in what was later described as a "war zone".
According to Human Rights Watch, AML is the largest private employer in Sierra Leone, with a $2 billion direct investment in the country's economy. Human Rights Watch also cites Sierra Leone government officials who claim that AML's company operations are close to double the country's gross domestic product.
On April 16th, 2012, AML workers in the northern town of Bumbuna struck in protest of bad working conditions, workplace discrimination, and the inability to form their own union. Striking workers convinced contracted workers to join them and attempted to prevent AML vehicles from refueling.
Bumbuna's local police force called for reinforcements, and an estimated 200 police officers descended upon the town the next day. During a protest, police opened fire on the market and town center, killing a 24-year-old woman and wounding eight others.
Police arrested at least 29 people who were held for a day before being released without charge, and many alleged they were beaten during their arrest. Three police officers were also injured. Sierra Leone's Human Rights Commission described the incident as resembling a "war zone".
- Date: 2012-04-16
- Learn More: www.hrw.org, www.theguardian.com.
- Tags: #Labor, #Protests.
- Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org