A group of villagers in southern
At least 15 people suffered burns in
"Everyone who used the water to clean their clothes, to wash themselves, they were all complaining that things are not as they were before that spill," says Delphine Kemneloum Djiraïbé, a lawyer with
A traditional leader and five others a few weeks later reported they saw an oil feeder pipe that was leaking oil, just metres from the
While some of the 18,000 residents in the area were directly burned by the wastewater, others had skin lesions and pustules just a few weeks after the two incidents when they used the water to bathe in.
Those who used or drank the water reported suffering from internal pain, including stomach aches, and vomiting. A number of people were hospitalised, including two children, according to the complaint.
"At the beginning of the oil spill, we tried to engage with Glencore and we were ignored," Djiraïbé tells the Africa Calling podcast.
Fish were found floating in the oil spilled in the river, she says, and the villagers who ate this fish became ill. Many were itching all over and had nausea and diarrhoea.
The 49-page complaint was filed by the
It says that the British company disregarded guidelines set out by the
"In addition to general neglect towards its stakeholders and local communities, major events have occurred at the Badila oilfield that demonstrate the acute failure of
Lawyer Djiraïbé says that people keep drinking the water and getting sick. Some of the 18,000 residents who live in the area and rely on the Nya Pende river also reported between
Another wastewater spill
While people of Badila were still dealing with these two spills - and the loss of land due to contamination, toxic drinking water, and livestock deaths - a third accident took place on
Although locals and contractors maintained that 60 cubic metres flooded the area,
Complaint heard
Djiraïbé says they had tried to speak to
"At the beginning of the oil spill, we tried to engage with Glencore and we were ignored. They kept saying that it was nothing, that it was not their responsibility and that they were not at risk," says Djiraïbé from her office in N'Djamena, the Chadian capital.
She pointed out that livestock died after drinking the water, and that fish were found dead after the oil spill. Djiraïbé partnered with RAID, a watchdog group that exposes corporate wrongdoing, environmental harm and human rights abuses.
Based in
Breaking: British government accepts #humanrights complaint against @Glencore
It also says that their 2019 Sustainability and Human Rights Report includes information on their actions and response to this spill.
Concerning the 2020 spill, however, the
Moving forward
On their decision published on 22 January,
UKNCP is advocating for mediation, which Djiraïbé says they are going to go ahead with.
Glencore says that "it acknowledges their decision that the issues relating to the 2018 wastewater incident merit further examination".
"We also note that UKNCP's decision to further examine aspects of the complaint is not a finding against
For Djiraïbé, it is a big step in the right direction to challenge Glencore in the
She says that Glencore was not transparent and consistently told villagers that the water was safe to drink. But then in two other villages it told people not to drink the water out of their well. Some farmers were paid small compensation by
"I hope that this mediation is really an opportunity that people who are suffering from Glencore's activities will be heard, because it's so frustrating," she says.
"People are getting sick, livestock is dying, so that is a big chance for them just to be considered as human beings, because the behaviour of Glencore is disturbing," she adds.
Copyright Radio France Internationale. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)., source