Rio Tinto CEO resigns following destruction of 46,000-year-old Aboriginal rock shelters in Western Australia

Jean-Sébastien Jacques, CEO of Rio Tinto, along with two other senior executives, has resigned after the mining company destroyed 46,000-year-old rock shelters at Juukan Gorge in Western Australia's Pilbara region in May. The destruction, which enabled iron-ore extraction valued at £75 million, sparked outcry from shareholders and indigenous groups, particularly the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) people, who are the traditional owners of the land. Ancient tools and belts discovered in the caves were directly linked to the PKKP through DNA tests, highlighting the site's cultural significance. Although Rio Tinto had permission under Aboriginal heritage laws, critics accused the company of ignoring evidence of the site's importance and giving misleading evidence to an Australian parliamentary inquiry. An internal inquiry led to the withholding of short-term bonuses from the executives, but this did not quell public anger. John Ashburton, speaking for the PKKP, described the loss as a 'devastating blow,' noting that few Aboriginal sites in Australia are as old. In the weeks before the destruction, Rio Tinto hired lawyers to fend off possible court injunctions.