Côte d'Ivoire shifts strategy to combat illegal gold mining

The Ivorian government is shifting its strategy to combat illegal gold mining following a national workshop in Yamoussoukro. Fidèle Sarassoro, Executive Secretary of the National Security Council, noted that despite dismantling over 1,000 clandestine sites, seizing 136 kilograms of gold, and prosecuting 4,665 individuals since 2021, illegal sites frequently reappear. The state now aims for permanent territorial control to address the persistent issue.

This crackdown has drawn political criticism. Patrice Saraka, Secretary General of the Cojep party, contested statements made by Government Spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly, who suggested the opposition was using the issue to unsettle the population. Saraka accused the government of minimizing a decade-long crisis, citing environmental warnings from 2013 regarding cyanide, heavy metals, and mercury contamination in water and fish supplies.