In brief
Guinea’s government announced on November 3 a total ban on illegal gold mining in the Siguiri administrative region after inspections revealed significant ecological harm. A permanent monitoring and inspection framework will be deployed by armed forces, police, customs and conservation officers, with strong penalties for those aiding illegal operations and urges local communities to report violations. The authorities emphasized that the ban does not diminish the sector’s importance but aims to safeguard the region’s environment.
On Monday, the Guinean government declared a comprehensive ban on illegal and disorderly gold mining in the northeastern Siguiri administrative region, following recent inspections that highlighted widespread environmental damage.
The decision came after a joint statement signed by multiple ministers, in which the spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, Mamadou Aliou Sow, noted that unregulated mining had destroyed soil, agricultural land and vegetation due to the use of heavy machinery.
Investigator teams reported that mining around the Niger River and the Tinkisso River and their tributaries had led to pollution and silting, with the use of dredgers, explosives, mercury, cyanide and other hazardous chemicals further worsening the ecological crisis.
The ban explicitly prohibits mining activities in riverbeds, along riverbanks, on agricultural and grazing lands, within protected areas, classified forests, near residential zones and around public infrastructure.
To enforce the new regulations, Guinea will establish a permanent monitoring and surveillance system in Siguiri, drawing on the armed forces, national gendarmerie, police, customs services and nature conservation officers.
Inspections will be conducted along road and river routes, as well as at multiple entry points to the region, aiming to stop the transport of heavy machinery, dredgers, explosives, and illicit chemicals destined for underground mining.
Security forces will also verify the identities and residency status of individuals present at mining sites, and foreign nationals found to be staying in the country illegally will be processed under existing legal procedures.
The statement further called on any citizen to refrain from providing any form of protection, in any capacity, to individuals or legal entities involved in these illicit operations.
Administrative and local authorities, traditional and religious leaders, youth and women’s organizations, as well as mining operators, have been urged to cooperate with government officials and report any illegal activities to the relevant services, the spokesperson added.
While the government sanctioned the ban to safeguard environmental integrity, it also stressed that these measures do not undermine the importance of the gold sector to the national economy and development goals, signaling support for responsible mining practices in the future.
