Security incidents recorded

The following security incidents were recorded by the company in 2010 and these records have been assured by Ernst and Young. Details of incidents under the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) are contained in our VPSHR report which is available on our website at www.anglogoldashanti.com.

In the South Africa region, ten incidents were recorded, of which nine were legal industrial actions or employee protest actions which took place without serious consequence. In the tenth incident, a trespasser in the Vaal River area sustained a minor dog bite injury while searching for scrap gold.

In Continental Africa, 19 incidents were recorded in total – seven at the Siguiri mine in Guinea, five at the Obuasi mine in Ghana, four at the Mongbwalu exploration site in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, two at the Geita mine in Tanzania and one at the Sadiola mine in Mali. Details of these incidents are given on the following page.

In Siguiri, three community members, who were passengers on a truck that was deliberately trying to exit the mine area without going through control procedures, sustained minor injuries when a soldier opened fire in an attempt to stop the vehicle. This regrettable incident is being fully investigated by the relevant local and governmental authorities, with the support of mine management.

A total of three illegal miners in Siguiri died in two separate incidents when holes they had dug at the company’s open-pit mining operations collapsed. There are comprehensive security measures in place to prevent illegal miners entering workings and efforts are being made to prevent these incidents by finding a workable solution, in consultation with the communities.

In four additional incidents, members from one of the communities around the Siguiri mine property sabotaged the tailings pipeline and staged protests about electricity supply, outstanding compensation for their farms and employment. All four protests were handled in a non-confrontational manner by management and the authorities and ended peacefully.

At the Obuasi mine, an armed robber who was stealing explosives was shot dead on the mine by police at an explosives depot on company property. On the same occasion, another armed robber was wounded in an ensuing shoot-out between police and suspects, while in another incident an illegal miner severely injured one of his toes while involved in illegal mining activities underground. In three separate incidents at Obuasi, illegal miners blocked roads, stopped mine vehicles and manhandled AngloGold Ashanti staff. The protesters had grievances relating to their not being granted permission to mine on the company property, as well as alleged dust problems in the communities. Mine management and the relevant authorities dealt with the protests as they occurred and addressed the issues raised by the protesters.

Two people died in two separate incidents as a result of falls of ground during illegal mining activities at old mine workings on concession land in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On two other separate occasions a group of ex-Kilo Moto Mining International (Kimin)* workers and community members held a peaceful march to the camp of Ashanti Goldfields Kilo** and protested outside the camp, demanding compensation for retrenchment in the past that was alleged to have been unpaid.

At Geita, an illegal miner fell and sustained an extensive head wound when he hit a rock trying to escape arrest. In another incident the road to Nungwe Bay was blocked by community members in protest at being refused permission to collect rocks on waste dumps. A resolution with mine staff was reached.

Youth from 43 communities around the Sadiola mine barricaded all the access roads to the Sadiola and Yatela mines to express grievances about what they perceived to be unfair mine recruitment practices. One AngloGold Ashanti security employee and one police representative sustained minor injuries. Action has been taken to resolve the issues raised.

In the Americas, one incident took place at Bogota exploration site in Colombia. Three members of the Peace Maker Christian Team approached AngloGold Ashanti’s offices in Bogota to deliver a letter which accused the company of having worked with paramilitary groups to displace the artisanal miners of the Federacion de Agromineros del Sur de Bolivar (FEDEAGROMISBOL). The team protested in front of the building for 30 minutes before dispersing.

* Prior to 1996, Kimin, a joint venture between Luxembourg-based Mindev & Associes and DRC state-owned company Okimo, held an exploration and mining lease over Concession 40 in the Ituri Region in the north-east of the DRC. Ashanti Goldfields purchased half of Mindev’s stake in the joint venture in 1996 and the remainder in 1998. Following Ashanti’s business combination with AngloGold in 2004, the property became part of the assets of AngloGold Ashanti.

** AngloGold Ashanti’s subsidiary in the DRC, which is in a joint venture with Okimo.