negotiation processes with the Pamaka people. This said, some understanding of the
background context is needed to understand the company’s relationship with the Pamaka
and the challenges involved. This section provides information about the mine and its
interaction with the Pamaka. A basic timeline of key events is provided, followed by a
description of relevant company-community incidents.
3.1
The Merian mine
Merian is a large-scale gold mine that is operated by Newmont’s wholly-owned subsidiary,
“Surgold”. Surgold holds a 75 percent share in the project and the government-owned
company Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname NV holds the remaining 25 percent as a limited
partner. Merian is located in the Guyana Shield, on the eastern part of Suriname’s interior,
close to the French Guyana border, and on Maroon ancestral lands.
Merian is one of Suriname’s largest and most recent industrial projects.18 After 10 years of
project exploration, evaluation and planning, Merian was approved by the Government of
Suriname in 2013. Construction began in 2014. During the writing of this report, the mine
commenced commercial production and was employing 1143 people, 214 of whom are
Pamakan (approximately 19 percent of the total workforce). The mining complex includes
three open pits, a processing plant, waste rock disposal areas, a tailings storage facility and
related infrastructure. With gold reserves estimated at 5.1 million ounces, Newmont
expects the project to produce an average of 400,000 to 500,000 ounces per year in the first
five years. The current estimated life of mine is 11 to 13 years.
Newmont contracted an external consultant to complete the feasibility study for Merian.
Project construction was contracted to Canadian mining services contractor, G Mining.
Surgold has ultimate responsibility for all activities associated with the project including
oversight and leadership for community engagement and external relations during the
construction period. The Merian project was completed on time, and more than USD 150
million or nearly 20 percent below its initial development capital budget.
3.2
Maroon peoples, the Pamaka and the mine
Maroon peoples are descendants of African slaves who escaped Dutch colonial rule more
than three centuries ago and who established communities along rivers in the jungle of
Suriname’s interior. 19 After more than a half-century of guerrilla warfare, in the 1760s a
number of Maroon tribes signed treaties with the Dutch colonial government. In doing so,
18
According to The World Bank, Suriname’s economy is characterized by strong dependence on
exports of extractives. Alumina, bauxite, gold and oil have historically made up three-quarters of
total exports and have accounted for a large proportion of government revenue. See:
http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/suriname/overview
19
Kambel, E. and MacKay, F. (1999) The Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Maroons in Suriname, The
Forest Peoples Program and International Working Group of Indigenous Affairs: Copenhagen, p.16.
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