mining

ADF STAFF Before it gained independence in 1957, Ghana was a British colony known as the Gold Coast. An old saying grew popular: “There is no land in Ghana which doesn’t have gold, even in the topsoil. Ghana is gold.” Today, Ghana is the…

ADF STAFF In the town of Kamituga, in the heavily forested eastern reaches of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, artisanal gold mining is big business. Thousands of people in South Kivu province work in vast open-pit mines in the faint…

ADF STAFF The Senegalese Armed Forces (SAF) launched an operation on land, river and air in February 2024 to restore security to the far east of the country, which borders Mali. The operation, known as Sentinelle Est, dismantled illegal…

ADF STAFF Authorities in the Central African Republic revoked a Chinese mining company’s license in the southern town of Mingala in June over concerns it was cooperating with armed militias. The CAR’s mining ministry accused Daqing…

ADF STAFF Since the notorious Russian mercenary outfit formerly known as the Wagner Group began reorganizing under the control of the Russian Defense Ministry in 2023, controlling gold mining sites in Mali has been a priority. Russian…

ADF STAFF Thousands of civilians in northern Mali have fled their homes in recent months, running from what they call systematic attacks by Russian mercenaries and Malian soldiers. Malian researcher Mohamed Issouf Ag Mohamed and professor…

ADF STAFF Illegal gold mining is a growing problem in Nigeria that is benefiting terrorist groups, causing violence and increasing pollution. Residents of mining areas blame Chinese nationals who set up and oversee mining and refining…

ADF STAFF On the surface, Diamville SAU is a Central African company working in the diamond trade. But Diamville is more than that: It’s the front for a Russian operation selling diamonds from the Central African Republic to finance…

ADF STAFF  |  Photos by REUTERS Over the past decade, Sudan has become the third-largest producer of gold in Africa. The industry gained momentum after the secession of South Sudan in 2011 when the country turned to mining to compensate…

ADF STAFF Ahmed was crossing Mali in an attempt to reach Europe when he was waylaid by extremists and forced to work in one of the country’s artisanal gold mines. “We’ve been here for a year,” he told Al Jazeera. “My brother has been here…