Initiated in 2021, the operation to combat the illegal exploitation of natural resources continues in the mining areas.
On Monday, March 27, representatives of the Malian authorities, accompanied by elements of the defense and security forces, dismantled an illegal gold mining site in the locality of Tombola, commune of Nounga, circle of Kangaba, in the Kayes region.
The site where these activities were taking place is located on the research permit of Falcon Gold, a Canadian mining exploration company.
During the same operation, at least ten illegal gold miners of Chinese nationality were arrested. In addition, several pieces of equipment and materials were seized, including 7 excavators, 2 pick-ups, 4 motor pumps, 2 tricycles and 4 generators. This seizure proves that these Chinese are not practicing traditional gold panning, but rather semi-industrial or even mechanized gold panning, which is prohibited by the authorities.
From the beginning of this operation in 2021 to the present day, several dozen illegal gold panning sites have been dismantled in the mining areas, more than one hundred illegal gold diggers have been arrested, mostly Chinese, and equipment and materials have been seized and made available to the courts.
Mali is the third largest gold producer in Africa behind South Africa and Ghana. In 2021, Mali’s gold production was 69.3 tons. This figure includes only production by industrial companies. Gold extracted from artisanal mines is not sufficiently taken into account, although it generates tens of thousands of tons of gold. The Chinese with very modern equipment are very present in this sector in several regions of Mali such as Sikasso, Koulikoro and Kayes.
The practices used to extract the yellow metal are illegal and violate the provisions of the Mining Code. However, some pay taxes and forestry royalties to obtain a mining permit. Except that these amounts are not officially recorded most of the time. Sometimes, others do not hesitate to slip through the cracks by not paying these
amounts and join forces with Malians holding exploration permits. Many of them resort to these maneuvers to avoid having to comply with environmental standards. Their work constitutes a real loss of income
for the state, which has no control over these large quantities of illegally produced gold.
Despite the authorities’ willingness to tackle this problem head on, the evil goes on unabated. This shows certain complicities at different levels. In any case, this situation is causing enormous problems, particularly environmental problems through the drums of fuel dumped on the water by dredgers, thus polluting the waters of the Niger River. Not to mention the environmental degradation of the banks of the river. All these bad practices make it impossible to practice certain authorized activities such as agriculture, fishing and
livestock.
MD/fss/abj/APA