Côte d’Ivoire faces environmental and security crisis from illegal gold mining

Clandestine gold mining is causing significant environmental and social challenges in Côte d’Ivoire. The illegal practice involves the heavy use of toxic substances such as cyanide and mercury, which poison water sources, destroy forests, and kill aquatic wildlife, leading to a massive loss of biodiversity.

Driven by the desire for rapid financial gain, many young people and students are abandoning education to join the perilous mining trade. This trend is fueled by a pursuit of quick wealth and social status.

Authorities have struggled to contain the phenomenon. Minister of State Téné Birahima Ouattara has noted the difficulty in combating the issue, stating that dismantling mining sites is often ineffective because they quickly reconstitute with the complicity of local populations. Officials have emphasized that addressing illegal mining requires collective responsibility from village chiefs, youth, and the broader community, rather than relying solely on security forces.