News

Jihadists Disrupt Burkina Faso’s Gold Output While Making Money

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:13 pm

Jihadist attacks on gold miners in Burkina Faso could seriously set back the rising production of a mineral that is a strategic export for the government, warn experts in the sector.

Early this month, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore’s government called three days of national mourning after 38 people were massacred in a November 6 ambush on a convoy near the Boungou mine in eastern Burkina.

Kabore blamed “terrorists” for the deadliest such attack since a spiral of jihadist violence began in the deeply poor West African country five years ago, in parallel with a gold rush.

“The mines go on operating, but this is going to have repercussions on activity,” said a senior government official who asked not to be named. “A kind of psychosis is setting in.”

Gold mines in partly arid Sahel nations south of the Sahara have become a source of finance for jihadists and other armed movements in areas lacking in central authority, the International Crisis Group said in a new report.

Albert Echetah

Recent Posts

Protesters Demand Wealthy NationsPay Fair Share in Climate Finance amidCOP29

This Thursday morning, some fifty protesters gathered at the COP29 venue's gate, calling onrich countries to fulfill their financial pledges…

November 14, 2024

International Day for Tolerance – UAE is “Home for all” and a “beacon of Tolerance”

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has always been considered an important player in the international business environment. But beyond the…

November 14, 2024

Trump chooses Elon Musk to head government efficiency department

Billionaire tech entrepreneur Musk, who has called for major spending cuts, has been chosen alongside biotech investor Vivek Ramaswamy to…

November 13, 2024

10 Must-Try African Dishes

African cuisine is a delightful combination of flavors, colors, and interlocking textures owing to the variety of cultures and areas.…

November 13, 2024

Somaliland Holds Elections, Reaffirming Self-Declared Independence

Somaliland voters came to the polls on Wednesday to elect a president as the breakaway Somali region seeks international recognition…

November 13, 2024

The 2025 Champions Trophy could be moved to South Africa if Pakistanrejects ICC conditions

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 could be moved to South Africa if the Pakistan CricketBoard (PCB) rejects the hybrid model,…

November 12, 2024

This website uses cookies.