A Deadly Ring of Coal: VALEs poisoned gift to Mozambique

An investigation by Friends of the Earth International into the operations of VALE Moçambique in the Tete Province of Mozambique, detailing human rights violations, environmental pollution, and the company's attempt to sell its assets to Vulcan Minerals.

• VALE Moçambique entered a binding agreement in December 2021 to sell the Moatize coal mine and the Nacala Logistics Corridor to Vulcan Minerals (part of the Jindal Group) for US$270 million, pending approval from the Government of Mozambique.
• The establishment of the Moatize mine and the Nacala Corridor involved the resettlement of 1,365 families in the Cateme and 25 de Setembro areas, and an additional 2,000 families along the corridor. These resettlements were marked by unsafe housing and land unsuitable for subsistence agriculture.
• The mining operations have caused severe water scarcity and pollution in the Tete Province. Rivers have been diverted, polluted, or buried by sand, cutting off access for peasants and brick makers (oleiros). In 2019, the expansion of the Moatize III Mine specifically cut access to the Moatize River for the communities of Primeiro de Maio, Liberdade, and Paiol.
• State security forces, including the Mozambican Police (PRM) and the Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR), have been used to repress protesters and protect VALE's interests. Reported violence includes beatings, the use of rubber bullets, live ammunition, and arbitrary detentions of community leaders and brick makers.
• Environmental pollution in Moatize has led to significant public health crises. Laboratory analyses from 2021 in the Liberdade neighbourhood found water and air pollution levels three times above national and international limits, specifically noting Cadmium (Cd) levels of 0.009 mg/l against a limit of 0.003 mg/l. Local hospital sources link the pollution to an increase in tuberculosis and respiratory problems.
• VALE Moçambique has faced legal challenges regarding the withholding of public interest information. The Administrative Court of the City of Maputo and other judicial bodies ruled against VALE, stating that environmental monitoring reports and agreements with the government and communities are not confidential and must be made available.
• Mining activities have caused structural damage to local infrastructure, with over 1,000 houses in the neighbourhoods of Primeiro de Maio, Nhantchere, Liberdade, and Bagamoyo suffering from cracked or collapsed walls due to mine explosions.

APA

Valoi, E. (2022). A Deadly Ring of Coal: VALEs poisoned gift to Mozambique. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/vale-mozambiquea-deadly-ring-of-coal/

Chicago

Valoi, Estacio. A Deadly Ring of Coal: VALEs poisoned gift to Mozambique. Friends of the Earth International, 2022. https://www.foei.org/vale-mozambiquea-deadly-ring-of-coal/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Valoi |first1=Estacio |title=A Deadly Ring of Coal: VALEs poisoned gift to Mozambique |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=11 March 2022 |url=https://www.foei.org/vale-mozambiquea-deadly-ring-of-coal/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{valoi2022deadly, author = {Valoi, Estacio}, title = {{A Deadly Ring of Coal: VALEs poisoned gift to Mozambique}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://www.foei.org/vale-mozambiquea-deadly-ring-of-coal/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }