Rédaction Africa Links 24 with lexpress
Published on 2024-02-28 02:43:00
Communities in the Atsimo-Andrefana region aspire to the resumption of Base Toliara.
The process of compensating the populations affected by Base Toliara is waiting only for its finalization and the resumption of the project.
Optimism is growing among the population of the sun city. The announcement made by the State at the beginning of President Andry Rajoelina’s term about the start of some mining projects in Madagascar suggests that the Base Toliara Project may be included. The possibility of lifting the suspension of the project is starting to emerge within the communities in this part of the island, indicating an effective resumption of the company’s activities in the Atsimo-Andrefana region.
For the Resettlement Working Group (RWG), the lifting of the suspension of this project will allow the relocation and compensation process for the Persons Affected by this Project (PAPs) to resume. Mahasolo Natsiry, from the RWG in Toliara I, explains that this working group was created to represent the owners of land and tombs affected by the exploitation of the Ranobe ilmenite.
Restart
“RWG works in mediating between the communities and the project promoter company,” he says. The RWG is responsible, among other things, for monitoring the compensation files and relocating the tombs, adds François Tovonay Niriko, a representative of this platform in the rural commune of Tsianisiha. “Discussions about this relocation and compensation of the PAPs started in 2015 with Toliara Sands, and continued with Base Toliara. Some activities had already started and several tombs were relocated, but everything was stopped until today with the decision to suspend this project,” deplores François Tovonay Niriko. Also, “we hope for the resumption of this project, not only for the completion of this work but especially for the benefits it can generate for us,” he says. Everything is now suspended on this suspension being lifted. Five mining projects are concerned by the State’s announcement, and for now, Base Toliara is one of the few that are already sufficiently prepared for a restart scheduled for this year.
“The wait has indeed been long,” notes Victorine Pelazy, from the Tsiafanoke Fokontany, in the rural commune of Tsianisiha. “We hope to enjoy the rights that were agreed upon in the context of this project. This is why we call on all decision-makers to act,” she says. Among the urgent actions that should mark the resumption is the signing of the “Cessibility Order”. It will determine the cost of determining the compensation amount, so that the affected people can enjoy their rights.
Read the original article(French) on lexpress.mg
