JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – A lawsuit has been filed against Vancouver-based mining company Nevsun Resources in the British Columbia Supreme Court by three individuals who claim to have once worked with a local subcontractor at the Bisha mine, in Eritrea, on the Horn of Africa.
The TSX-listed company said on Friday that the lawsuit made human rights allegations against Nevsun and its local subcontractor, which the company denied and would “vigorously defend itself against”.
Nevsun CEO Cliff Davis said: "We are confident that the allegations are unfounded. Based on various company-led and third-party audits, the Bisha mine has adhered at all times to international standards of governance, workplace conditions and health and safety.
“We are committed to ensuring that the Bisha mine is managed in a safe and responsible manner that respects the interests of the local communities, workers, national governance, stakeholders and the natural environment."
Nevsun said it strived to ensure that the company's presence had a positive social and economic impact, noting that with spin-off effects, the Bisha mine had created meaningful employment for thousands of Eritreans.
The company highlighted its commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) detailed in its 2013 CSR report, as well as an independent human rights impact assessment commissioned earlier this year.