Upper Mazaruni District Council calls on Govt. to stop illegal mining at Jawalla Village

Feb 23, 2025 News

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Kaieteur News-  The Upper Mazaruni District Council (UMDC) of Region Seven is currently calling on the government to intervene and stop ongoing threats and illegal mining activities on the titled Indigenous lands of Jawalla Village.

The UMDC in a press statement said it is representing the collective interests of the eight Indigenous villages in the district, with Jawalla, an Akawaio community being one of them.

According to the Council, Jawalla is facing severe rights violations and threats from government-sanctioned mining on their customary and legally recognized lands.

“Those threats have increased over the last months, with outside miners operating under a permit issued without the knowledge or consent of the village, bringing in heavy machinery dangerously close to the homes of our people. The intention of this glaring threat is to forcefully remove residents from the lands they legally occupy,” the Council reported.

Recalling when the issue began, the UMDC stated that on July 2, 2021, a woman by the name of Juel Hinds visited Jawalla Village where she claimed villagers were invading her mining claims in Apupai and Suwaidai.

“The situation intensified over several months, with key events occurring between September 2024 and February 2025. The issue escalated when Jawalla resident Mr. Moore James, engaged in subsistence mining and farming in the area, received an eviction order on September 14, 2024 to vacate a mining permit (A-1150/MP/000) issued to one Ayub Asad. The order, issued by the Mines Officer Winston George stationed at Imbaimadai, required Mr. James to leave by September 17, 2024, under the provisions of the Mining Act and Regulations,” the Council detailed.

It was explained that despite James’ attempts to inform the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), through a formal letter on November 18, 2024, that his family’s home and farms are within the permit area, no response or acknowledgment was provided.

The UMDC said instead, James and his nephew on January 18, 2025, received separate summons to appear in the Essequibo Magisterial District Court on January 20, 2025, after being accused of breaching Regulation 181(1) of the Mining Regulations.

Pertaining to James’ matter, the Council revealed that a second order to remove from the permit area was delivered on February 3, 2025.

“This time the permit was stated to be the property of Ivor Dexter Chan. The threats have continued, with persons stating they work for Dexter Chan warning Mr. Moore on February 1, 2025, that excavators would be used to force his family off the land. Residents report that these excavators have since moved dangerously close to his home. Dexter Chan is not the permit holder, yet he has been acting with full authority over the mining operations, further escalating tensions in the area,” the release reported.

Having been made aware of the issue, the Jawalla Village Council, in response conducted an independent verification of the village title boundary using a sworn surveyor. Following this, UMDC said that the findings confirmed that the lands in question fall within the legal land title of Jawalla.

“However, government agencies have refused to certify these findings, instead providing various justifications for allowing mining to continue, highlighting a lack of coordination and failure of the legal system to protect Indigenous rights,” the Council related.

According to the District Council, “Section 80 of the Mining Act restricts a licensee from exercising their rights within 200 meters of any village or land designated for village extension without the written consent of the Minister.”

They noted that the Village was never consulted or notified, violating their right to self-determination and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), as well as section 80(2) of the Mining Act.

Additionally, the Council revealed that Section 80(1)(b) requires written consent from the lawful occupier for mining within 200 meters of inhabited or occupied buildings or within 50 meters of agricultural lands.

They noted that since James has farms and buildings on the land encompassed by the mining permit, these requirements were clearly violated.

Meanwhile, attributing to the Amerindian Act under Section 48, the UMDC further explained that it requires that any miner seeking to operate within Village lands must first obtain permission, provide information on their activities, attend consultations, negotiate in good faith, and receive the consent of at least two-thirds of the community present at a Village General Meeting.

Taking these requirements into consideration, the District Council declared that none of these legal requirements were met, and that “the GGMC never notified the village before issuing permits on its titled lands, as mandated under Section 53 of the Amerindian Act.”

It was claimed by the Council, that the maps used by GGMC to justify these mining permits are incorrect. “The maps in their system misrepresent Jawalla’s lands, and GGMC claims that the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC) generated these maps, leading to a blame game between agencies rather than accountability,” they noted.

With these issues yet unresolved, the UMDC in its release is urging for action to uphold Indigenous land rights, prevent violence, and ensure legal protections are enforced.

The Council is calling on the government to intervene to prevent forced displacement of residents. The Council is also calling for the, “immediate cessation of all mining activities by non-residents within Jawalla’s titled lands, accountability for agencies enabling violations of Indigenous rights, (and), amendments to the Amerindian Act to strengthen land and governance protections.”

(Upper Mazaruni District Council calls on Govt. to stop illegal mining at Jawalla Village)

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• Government, government-sanctioned mining, Indigenous Villages, Jawalla, Upper Mazaruni District Council

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