Stop Zijin Before Eastern Serbia Disappears

Yesterday, a fire broke out at the Čukaru Peki mine and spread toward Malka Golaja. According to unofficial sources, the fire has been extinguished. This incident is not an isolated event—it is merely the latest evidence of the systematic devastation taking place across eastern Serbia, carried out by the Chinese company Zijin with the active support of the Serbian authorities.

People are dying in Bor and Majdanpek. Mountains are being destroyed, villages are being relocated, and thousands of square kilometers are being polluted. Zijin is expanding its mining operations toward Malka Golaja, while exploration activities are already moving further south, reaching as far as Niš. The government is turning the whole of eastern Serbia into a mining zone.

The Chinese company Zijin respects neither environmental nor legal standards. It carries out operations based on inadequate permits, illegally clears forests, and diverts streams without authorization.

The state supports these activities because the profits are enormous: Čukaru Peki alone generates €1.1 billion in annual net profit for Zijin, while Bor and Serbia receive only €97 million, and workers' wages account for just €37 million.

The citizens of Zaječar and the surrounding area have raised their voices against the destruction of their local environment. Gamzigrad (Felix Romuliana), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located just two kilometers from the planned mine. Nearby are local spas and the center of Zaječar. Malka Golaja is home to more than 300 protected plant species.

The Solidarity Civic Movement demands:

• The immediate suspension of all Zijin operations at Malka Golaja;

• The annulment of all unlawfully issued permits and accountability for the responsible authorities;

• The protection of the Crni Timok River, Malka Golaja, and the whole of eastern Serbia.

Eastern Serbia is facing a serious threat and must be protected.

The Solidarity Civic Movement will do everything in its power to ensure that, after this regime is gone, mining in Serbia is conducted exclusively in accordance with the highest European Union standards, with maximum protection for both people and nature.