Environmental and human rights groups are calling for an investigation into Calgary-headquartered Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica), alleging the company has violated human rights in Namibia.
ReconAfrica is drilling for oil in an ecologically sensitive region in Namibia. Its drilling plans are near the Okavango Delta — a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the world’s largest protected areas for endangered wildlife and a culturally significant place to the San people.
A 187-page complaint filed with the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE), a federal corporate watchdog, alleges ReconAfrica’s operations have violated international human rights, including the rights to health, water, food and adequate housing, as well as Indigenous rights of free, prior and informed consent to operations in their territory.
The complaint was a joint submission from the International Human Rights Program, housed at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law, and Saving Okavango’s Unique Life (SOUL), an advocacy group focused on protecting the Okavango Delta.