Environmental organizations of civil society in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) sent an open letter to the ambassadors of Great Britain, the United States (U.S.) and Norway because of their open support for the Adriatic Metals mine in Vares, which threatens the river basins that supply the citizens of Kakanj with drinking water.
Numerous civil society organizations, informal groups and activists gathered in five environmental networks in BiH expressed their deep concern and disappointment over the recent visit to the mine, especially since the visit took place immediately after the civil protest in Kakanj on June 3rd, during which it was clearly warned that the mentioned mine threatens water protection zones and river basins that supply citizens of Kakanj with drinking water.
“Your visit also followed civil protests against the decision of the Doboj City Assembly to allow geological research on its territory, which is only the first step towards the opening of a mine by the same or a similar company on Mount Ozren. How then to interpret your support for the mine despite civil protests and warnings that was reported by numerous media? Isn’t your visit a direct message to all environmental organizations, groups and activists, as well as concerned citizens, that they should not touch “Your investment”?,” the letter reads.
In addition, they state and ask a well-founded question, how to interpret the visit, which is the subject of an investigation by domestic and international services due to suspicions of numerous irregularities, caused by the decisions of political structures that, according to their statements, are often called corrupt.
In the end, they ask not to be convinced that “dig and carry investments” are their future and that “investors” are, as stated, “committed to the country, security, sustainability”…
“We are not yet so impoverished, at least in spirit, that the ‘pits’ have become our ‘lifelines’. We know very well that our future is not in deforestation and digging up mountains, but in the European Union (EU), which puts the protection of nature and the preservation of biological diversity in first place. Therefore, we openly ask you: Is your support for such “investments” your personal, or the position of the countries you represent? Please give a direct, straight-out answer, because we intend to ask the same question to the governments of the countries you come from, as well as bodies of the EU in Brussels,” the letter states.
They write that it is very important for them to find out if the ambassadors’ countries support “investments” that will permanently destroy the only thing left in BiH, which they themselves failed to destroy through war – beautiful nature.
The letter was supported by the Eco BiH Network, the Coalition for the Protection of the Rivers of BiH, the Aarhus Centers in BiH, the Network for Nature Protection in BiH, and the Alliance for Forests in BiH.
E.Dz.
