Construction of the Bielméra Mining project in the Djôrô region has reached 90% completion, marking a major milestone for Burkina Faso’s first community-owned mine financed predominantly through popular shareholding.
Following an on-site inspection on Tuesday, September 8, Director-General of the Agency for the Promotion of Community Entrepreneurship (APEC) Karim Traoré confirmed the progress of the infrastructure, which evolved from an initial semi-mechanized design into a small-scale industrial operation after geological studies verified the deposit’s commercial potential.
Built using local engineering expertise, the processing facility possesses a daily capacity of 100 tonnes of ore and is supported by an existing stockpile exceeding 85,000 tonnes. Bielméra Mining Director-General Maurice Zongo announced that preliminary operational testing of the facility—which features crushers, grinding mills, gravity and chemical recovery systems, and an onsite smelting unit—will commence by the first week of October 2026, running for one to two months prior to full commercial production. Highlighted by local authorities and APEC leadership as a flagship model for national economic sovereignty and community entrepreneurship, the project is expected to create over 100 direct local jobs while offering Burkinabè citizens ongoing opportunities to subscribe for equity shares.
HO/te/lb/abj/APA