People living near Lega Dembi gold mine in Ethiopia’s Oromia region have for years complained about serious health impacts, including children born with long-term health conditions, miscarriages, and stillbirths. Several studies have found high concentrations of toxic chemicals, including cadmium, mercury, lead, and arsenic, in the country’s largest gold mine.
Next week, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child will meet to assess the situation of children’s rights in Ethiopia, including the health rights of children living near Lega Dembi mine.
From 2018 to 2021, the Ethiopian government suspended Lega Dembi following protests over the mine’s pollution and promised to reopen it only after mine officials addressed environmental concerns.
But instead, Human Rights Watch found that the Ethiopian government obfuscated the problem. It quashed publication of a government health study, reopened the mine without public announcement, and kept a memorandum of understanding between the government and Midroc Investment Group, the company operating the mine, confidential. Midroc told Human Rights Watch in 2023 and 2025 that the environmental concerns had been addressed through compensation to victims and improved toxic cyanide management, and that all contaminant levels of mine waste were below thresholds set by the World Health Organization.
The Ethiopian government has a duty to protect children’s rights under international law. Businesses also have a responsibility to ensure they are not contributing to harmful human rights impacts.
Human Rights Watch and Kontomaa Darimu Alliance, in partnership with a human rights center at Northwestern University in the United States, have submitted concerns and recommendations to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
When the committee meets, it should urge the Ethiopian government to suspend mine operations in the interest of protecting child health, allow an independent environmental health assessment to recommend steps before the mine resumes, and ensure victims of abuse are provided effective remedy, including compensation, medical care, and access to justice.
The Committee should seize this opportunity to bring real change to the lives of children and their families living near Lega Dembi.
