POPs IN AFRICA HAZARDOUS WASTE TRADE 1980 - 2000 ... - Arte

Scheme: The Syndicate I
Date: probably 1992
Type of Waste: Industrial toxic and radioactive
Source: Europe
Exporter: Unknown
Pretext/Fate: Dumping
Status: Proposed by Nigerian business people
In an undated letter from Nigeria there is mention of a plan to
dump toxic and radioactive waste from Europe in Benin:
“...we, a group of international businessmen, in consent with key
personnel in the government of NIGERIA, TOGO,
EQUATORIAL GUINEA and REPUBLIC of BENIN have
developed a closed syndicate which specializes in the clandestine
importation and disposal of industrial toxic and radioactive
wastes on behalf of industrial concern in the west for a fee ...” 37
For a more exhaustive quote see: Nigeria Section of this report:
“Waste Trade Schemes II”
Obsolete Pesticides: In Benin there are altogether 421 tonnes of obsolete pesticides
stored in at least 9 different locations.
The following substances were identified, among others:
Dieldrin.
Countries of origin named are: Japan, Germany
Companies identified are: Ciba Geigy, SOCHIM, SPIA,
Procida, SOFACO. 38
BOTSWANA
BASEL LOMÉ IV / COTONOU BAMAKO
20.05.98 Ratified Party Signatory
National Policy: The country of Botswana, as a party to the Lomé Convention,
totally bans waste shipments to its territory.
37 Document filed with Greenpeace
38 FAO 1999,2001
Responding to a draft of the United Nations Environment
Programme’s (UNEP’s) Global Convention on the
Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes, the government
of Botswana stated that “nothing short of a complete ban on all
exports of hazardous waste will solve the problem.” The
government accused the draft convention, which controls rather
than prohibits the international waste trade, of “asking developing
countries to divert scarce resources to the safe managing and
disposal of the developed countries’ waste.” By allowing waste
to continue to be exported to developing countries, “the present
30