Côte d'Ivoire implements six-month crackdown on illegal gold

Authorities in Côte d'Ivoire have identified criminal networks involved in illegal gold mining, which reportedly involve financiers operating from Dubai and the sub-region. Seydou Coulibaly, Director General of Mines and Geology, stated these networks use local logistics to manage clandestine sites. Dr. Ahoua Don-Mello has called for international judicial cooperation to target these financiers, noting that illegal exploitation causes significant economic losses and environmental damage, including mercury and cyanide pollution. In response to these activities, the Special Surveillance and Intervention Brigade (BSSI) conducted an operation in the Tengréla department. During this intervention, agents destroyed 18 dredges and dismantled nine illegal washing stations along the Bagoué River, resulting in three arrests. Building on Minister Abou Bamba’s initiative to form an African coalition to combat land degradation, the Ivorian Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition has announced the formal launch of this group during the UNCCD COP17. The coalition is designed to coordinate national responses to transboundary criminal networks through intelligence sharing, harmonized law enforcement, and the implementation of a shared geospatial platform to map illegal mining sites. Recently, the Ivorian government has signaled a strategic shift from a purely repressive approach toward a model of participatory governance. During a meeting in Aboisso, Minister of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly called for the direct involvement of local communities, traditional chiefs, and local authorities in regulating the sector. He emphasized that mining must support, rather than compromise, the agricultural sector, while prioritizing environmental protection and the equitable redistribution of revenues. Additionally, Chinese Ambassador Wu Jie expressed Beijing’s support for Côte d'Ivoire’s stance against illegal mining during a meeting with Minister Amadou Coulibaly. In September 2026, following a national consultation workshop in Yamoussoukro, the National Security Council (CNS) and regional prefects established a new large-scale strategy to combat illegal mining.