“The company’s chemicals have contaminated our land, water, and people,” 28-year-old “Elizabeth” recently told Kontomaa Darimu Alliance, an Ethiopian nongovernmental organization. Residents living near Lega Dembi mine, located in Ethiopia’s Oromia region, have complained of serious health impacts for years, including miscarriages, stillbirths, and children born with long-term health conditions. A recent decision by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child could bring hope to residents. Residents also say they have to drink water from Midroc’s tailings dams because there is insufficient clean drinking water. The findings of the UN committee and the Kontomaa Darimu Alliance should prompt the Ethiopian government to finally tackle the pollution at the mine fully and transparently.

Source: Ethiopian News March 12, 2026 11:00 UTC