Golden result.
Guinea closes illegal mines.
More than a thousand arrested in one operation - Guinea took illegal gold mining seriously. More than 1,200 people were arrested during a police raid on the Great Sigourney mine.
Most of the miners managed to leave before the security forces arrived. About 160,000 workers left the mine in advance and moved to neighboring Mali, from where they are gradually distributed among the countries of the region.
For many residents of these places, artisanal mining was the only way to earn money. The conditions there were far from heavenly - extortion, hard work, mercury fumes. But now they have closed this store too.
The closure of gray mines is a consistent trend across Africa. Countries are trying to control huge cash flows that need to be legalized in the economy. In Mali, for example, the authorities have already reopened the largest gold mining complex directly controlled by the state.
There is also a downside. Closing a mine in a controlled area will only lead to miners going to look for work where they won't be covered, in areas where there is no state. And this is a direct route to areas controlled by militants.
- where politics is hotter than the equator.
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