The European Union rewarded Fatal Transactions with a new three-year grant to continue the campaign on conflict-related exploitation of natural resources in Africa. From January 1st 2007 Fatal Transactions will have a new coalition, with members from Europe and Africa.
Much has changed since Fatal Transactions first raised the 'blood diamonds' issue in 1999. There now is a certification system for rough diamonds in place, the wars in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Angola have come to an end and their populations are now struggling to rebuild their countries. The people of Congo just had their first democratic elections after 40 years. Congo's government should now take a lead in a responsible management of natural resources.
The aim of the Fatal Transactions campaign is to transform 'Fatal Transactions'; business activities in the extractive sector that fuel bloody conflicts and human rights violations, into 'Fair Transactions' that truly contribute to sustainable peace and reconstruction in Africa.
In order to be an effective watchdog, the new Fatal Transactions coalition consists of a variety of civil society organisations from both north and south.
The steeringgoup members are: NiZA, Pax Christi Netherlands,International Peace Information Service (IPIS) and Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC),
And the following civil society organisations (cso's) committed themselves to the campaign: groundWork (South Africa), CENADEP(DRCongo), JEA (Angola), Oxfam Novib (The Netherlands), Medico International(Germany), Broederlijk Delen(Belgium) and Wroclaw University(Poland).
Together this variety of cso's form a strong coalition on the issue of natural resource exploitation in Africa, to address governments and companies and change their behaviour.