Canadian mining company accomplice of acts of violence in DRC

The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo committed atrocities on the citizens of the small town of Kilwa in the Democratic republic of Congo during the repression of a local and minor rebellion in 2004. Summary executions, mass graves, rapes, looting, torture, destruction of property, these words became a reality for the citizens of Kilwa, a reality that came to them in the white trucks of the defendant Anvil Mining, a Canadian company that was operating a copper mine in the region at the time.

On November 8th 2010, the Canadian Association against Impunity (CAAI) filed a Motion in the Quebec Superior Court, district of Montreal, to be authorized to exercise a class action against Anvil Mining Limited.

The class is defined as follows:

Every person who lost a family member, who was abused, who was robbed or who fled the town of Kilwa in October 2004 due to illegal acts committed by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo;

The proceeding alleges that Anvil Mining acted in furtherance of its commercial interests during the events of Kilwa but with a total lack of respect for the human rights of the victims. Anvil Mining provided logistical help to the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In doing so and in its subsequent silence, Anvil became an accomplice of the crimes committed against the citizens of Kilwa.

The CAAI will ask the Court to order Anvil Mining to compensate the victims for the losses they suffered as a result of these violations of their human rights.