KOIDU, Sierra Leone, May 5 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A dispute over a bridge in eastern Sierra Leone thought to span diamond deposits has divided a local community with a foreign mining company accused of illegally mining the area after volunteering to rebuild the overpass.

The Congo Bridge in Koidu, the capital of Kono District, was deemed by local authorities to be in danger of collapsing after years of illegal small-scale mining around the base.

Unlike the interests of big oil companies, the Wampis revere the sanctity of the forests and mountains in which they live.

On November 29, 2015, the Wampis nation, an Indigenous community of Peru, declared plans to become an autonomous government. Now, Peru's first self-governing Indigenous community has won a major victory toward having their autonomy officially recognized.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Mokoro is pleased to share news of the successful completion of fieldwork in the fourth of six phases of our WOLTS pilot study in both Mongolia and Tanzania. WOLTS is a major multi-country strategic action-oriented research project in support of the land rights of women and vulnerable groups. The WOLTS team is well underway with preparing two major reports of our country research findings, to be launched, respectively, in May and June this year.

Date: 6 March 2017

Source: peoplesworld

The Wayúu indigenous people make up nearly half the population of La Guajira department in Colombia’s extreme northeast. They won’t be finding much peace from the agreement Colombia’s government and FARC insurgents signed in late 2016 to end their war. The government’s chief negotiator, Humberto de la Calle, said as much in 2012 when negotiations were beginning.

Date: 2 March 2017

Source: Telesur

The Indigenous and Afro-Colombian community of Marmato won a major court victory in their 10-year fight against a massive Canadian gold mine.

By: Adisti Sukma Sawitri

Date: 21 February 2017

Source: The Jakarta Post

The government has made a bold move with its plan to grant people wider access to land under its agrarian reform.

Date: 19 February 2017

Source:News Ghana

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr John Peter Amewu has reiterated government’s commitment to address holistically the menace of illegal mining.

Speaking during a courtesy call on him by members of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Mr Amewu called for collaboration with the Chamber to take the fight to the illegal miners.

By: Moushumi Das Gupta 

Date: 17 February 2017

Source: The Hindustan times

By: Bethanie Harriman

Date: 20 February 2017

Source: emtv

Over 200 Settlers in Saraga were evicted today by Police acting on a court order.

A Papua New Guinean company has a business lease over the land, obtained in 2014.

Settlers allege the land was obtained in a questionable manner.

The pacific island of Papua New Guinea is one of the world's most resource rich countries, hosting nearly 7 percent of global biodiversity and important reserves of gold, copper and hydrocarbons.

By:Erika Quinteros

Date: 24 January 2017

Source: Council on Hemispheric Affairs

The pacific island of Papua New Guinea is one of the world's most resource rich countries, hosting nearly 7 percent of global biodiversity and important reserves of gold, copper and hydrocarbons.