Thousands of Burkina Faso and Mali citizens chop arrest ova illegal mining for Guinea

Authorities for Guinea don arrest hundreds of foreign gold miners, wey include more dan 1,000 citizens of Burkina Faso and Mali, afta dem ban artisanal mining for some parts of di north-east of di kontri.

Foreign Affairs Minister Morissanda Kouyate tok say 409 Burkinabe and 606 Malians dey among dos wey dem arrest and hand ova to dia respective embassies.

E say di move na to maintain good relations wit neighbouring kontris.

Earlier dis week, Burkina Faso announce bin announce plan to organise di return of thousands of im citizens wey Guinea expel, as dem bin dey work for artisanal gold mining sites.

Di state-owned Burkina Information Agency (AIB), wey quote one govment source, tok say di authorities wan make sure say dia return happun wit "dignity and decency".

As part of di operation, one govment delegation from Burkina Faso bin travel go Mali on Wednesday to help citizens wey dey distress, di agency report.

Di Wes African kontri bin announce di ban on Monday, and dem target several areas for di north-east, wey include di Siguiri region, one of Guinea main gold-producing areas.

Di govment also don permanently deploy security forces to enforce di restrictions.

Earlier, President Mamadi Doumbouya bin don sack 22 local officials, wey include prefects and sub-prefects, on top accuse say dem get hand for di illegal gold mining.

Dem accuse di officials wey come from di security forces and civil service say dem dey encourage or facilitate illegal mining, wey authorities say don cause serious environmental damage.

Di foreign minister add say dem no fit sacrifice environmental protection in di name of African solidarity, as e point to di use of cyanide by miners and di health risks wey e pose.

E also mention di destruction of forests and waterways, as well as di death of animals.

One govment assessment wey dem publish on Monday find significant damage to farmland and vegetation for Siguiri, as well as pollution and silting of rivers and streams.

Artisanal gold mining dey provide important source of income for many pipo for di region, but e don long dey associated with environmental damage and security concerns.

Guinea na one of West Africa major gold producers, wit di kontri ranking sixth for Africa for 2025, according to industry estimates based on World Gold Council data.

Di gold industry for Guinea include large industrial mines as well as smaller-scale artisanal operations.

Meanwhile, di Burkinabe govment don announce three decrees for di Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries.

Di junta leader Ibrahim Traore for one recent cabinet meeting wit im cabinet set out conditions and procedures for reorganising di exploitation of illegal mining sites, illegal mining sites wey get conflicts, and illegal mining sites wey get strategic importance to di State.

Di Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries, Yacouba Gouba, say di adoption of dis decree na to beta reorganise di sites in order to establish one peaceful climate for artisanal gold mining.

And according to di mining code wey dey in force for di kontri, "any actor wey dem find guilty of employing children for mining sites go face di full weight of di law," e tok.

Di second decree na on di creation of one state-owned company wey dem call Faso SANU (gold, for Dioula language).

Through di creation of dis company, e go enable di State ensure beta reorganisation of di sub-sector and get one technical arm wey fit contribute to di implementation of di first decree.

According to Comrade GOUBA, Faso SANU go belong 50% to di National Precious Substances Company (SONASP) and 50% to di Public Treasury.

As for di third decree, e concern di adoption of di statutes of di company.