Major gold exporter launches crackdown on illegal mining
Guinean authorities have detained more than 1,200 people in a crackdown on illegal gold mining, according to a joint statement issued by the Ministries of National Defense and Security and Civil Protection.
A total of 1,263 people, including nationals of Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Ghana, were detained during operations in the gold-rich Siguiri region and transferred to the capital, Conakry, for legal proceedings, the ministries said on Saturday.
Police and gendarmerie investigators are questioning the detainees, who could face prosecution. The crackdown has also led to the dismissal of 22 civilian and military territorial administrators, including an acting governor, four prefects, 17 deputy prefects, and 479 district and neighborhood chiefs. The officials remain subject to possible legal action.
The authorities said similar operations are underway in Mandiana, Kerouane, Kouroussa, and other areas affected by illegal gold mining. They warned that both Guinean and foreign nationals involved in unauthorized extraction would face prosecution.
West Africa is one of the world’s leading gold-producing regions, with output estimated at nearly 500 tons in 2025, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Guinea alone exported more than 72 tonnes of gold last year, including nearly 50 tonnes from artisanal mining, according to the country’s Ministry of Mines and Geology.
The crackdown comes amid broader efforts to combat illegal gold mining across West Africa. Neighboring Mali has also stepped up its campaign against illegal gold mining, establishing a special enforcement unit in March 2026.
Ivory Coast has taken similar measures, tightening penalties for illegal mining in September 2026, with offenders facing up to 20 years in prison. Since 2021, authorities there have shut down around 8,500 illegal mining sites and brought nearly 4,500 people before the courts.
Between July and October 2024, an Interpol-led operation in Guinea, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and the Gambia resulted in 200 arrests, with authorities also seizing mining equipment and hazardous chemicals used in unauthorized extraction.
Unregulated gold mining also poses serious safety risks, with deadly collapses frequently reported across the region. In February 2026, at least 11 people, including ten women, were killed when a makeshift gold mine collapsed in eastern Guinea.
