Dutch Trading Company, Trafigura, has agreed to pay $46m to the 30,000 people who were harmed because of their illegal dumping of toxic waste in the African state of Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).  This is to be in addition to the $198 million that was paid by Trafigura directly to the government of Cote d’Ivoire.

This case caught my attention for a few reasons. First off, anytime a multi-national corporation is accused of harming 30,000 people in Africa I think it is important to say something.

Of course, Trafigura denies that they are responsible for their illegal dumping of toxic waste. They went on to say that, “We are appalled at the basic lack of balance and analytical rigour reflected in the report.” Well, I believe that the whole world is appalled by the lack of humanity and dignity displayed by Trafigura.

Trafigura was founded by Claude Dauphin and Eric de Turkheim as an oil trading company in 1993.

According to their website:

Trafigura’s impact on the global economy is a positive one; our responsibility is to the communities in which we operate, our customers, our suppliers and employees.

As physical traders whose success rests on long-term ownership of assets, supporting local communities is essential to our business. Our community involvement programme will bring together the contributions that Trafigura already makes under a more cohesive group framework.

Overall, 95,000 people sought treatment, 30,000 people were treated because of illness related to the exposure to toxic chemicals. Businesses were forced to close and at least 15 people died.  Trafigura dumped 500 tons of a mixture of fuel, caustic soda, and hydrogen sulfide.

The second reason I found this interesting is because Trafigura is a MNC that has a history of scandal. Trafigura was named as a participant in the UN Oil for Food Scandal. On May 13, 2001 and August 27, 2001 the Essex, a ship chartered by Trafigura, had received illegal Iraqi crude oil.  By October 2001, U.S. warships caught the Essex off of the coast of Curacao. Trafigura was fined $5 million because of this.

It is nice to see a major corporation being held accountable for their actions. We live in a world where these MNC’s hire powerful militia forces, bribe government officials and run amok of the law. Maybe it is time for Trafigura to have a positive impact on the communities in which they operate.

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