Faced with the press on June 13, at his office in Le Plateau, Jean-Claude Kouassi, the Minister of Mines and Geology, announced several measures that should contribute to ending or considerably reducing illegal gold panning in Côte d' Ivoire, a country rich in mineral resources.

Among these measures is the resumption of the issuance of artisanal and semi-industrial mining authorizations to artisanal gold miners. This, in recent years, had been suspended.

"The administration of Mines has been instructed to speed up the processing of outstanding requests", reassures the minister who was surrounded during this exercise by his closest collaborators.

According to him, a particular point will be given to the environmental and social impact study for which reflection is underway with the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development. The objective is to carry out this study within a reasonable time and at a lower cost.

Jean-Claude Kouassi also announced the reactivation of local technical committees (Ctl) to avoid recolonization. These Ctl, instituted within the framework of the national program for the rationalization of gold panning (Pro), are chaired by the prefects. Their mission is to monitor and monitor the proper execution of the measures decided on at the local level.

Throughout the national territory, 100 Ctls have been selected to be activated "in view of the extent of clandestine gold panning" in certain localities, recalls the minister. Each Ctl must hold at least four meetings per year, with a view to implementing and monitoring measures to combat gold panning.

The definition, by means of decrees, of mineralized corridors intended for operators in the small-scale mining sector is part of these decisions. Indeed, Law No. 2014-138 of March 24, 2014 on the mining code provides, in its articles 52 and 64, areas to be downgraded and reserved for artisanal and semi-industrial mining activities.

The interest of these provisions is to guarantee the feasibility and profitability of the small mine dedicated, in principle, to alluvial or surface mineral resources. Law No. 2014-138 of March 24, 2014 on the mining code provides, in its articles 52 and 64, areas to be downgraded and reserved for artisanal and semi-industrial mining activities.

The interest of these provisions is to guarantee the feasibility and profitability of the small mine dedicated, in principle, to alluvial or surface mineral resources. Also, a draft decree was transmitted to the General Secretariat of the Government on April 30, 2019 with a view to listing, throughout the national territory, the areas suitable for small-scale mining.

The last measure relates to the reactivation of Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana cooperation. The two neighbors concluded on October 17, 2017 a strategic partnership agreement and two memoranda. The objective is to strengthen cooperation in geological and mining matters, as well as to fight against the proliferation of illegal small-scale mining.

Arrests

Faced with the phenomenon of illegal gold panning, which is taking more and more worrying proportions, the authorities have decided, for several months, to toughen up the tone. Hence the establishment in December 2018 of the Brigade for the repression of breaches of the mining code (Bricm). As of June 12, 2019, 48 people have been heard and brought before the competent courts. Two convictions were handed down. These defendants, who have to pay several tens of millions of FCfa, are mostly Ivorians, ECOWAS nationals and Asians.

It is thanks to four repression operations organized in five regions (Sud-Comoé, La Mé, Iffou, Gontougou, Indénie-Djuablin), that these results were obtained. Gold, 12 gauge rifles with ammunition, vehicles, dozens of heavy machinery including diggers, powerful generators, dozens of butane gas bottles, refrigerators, motorcycles, narcotics... constitute the input that was made during these operations. As the minister maintains, “they will continue” until the phenomenon is over. "Procedures are underway for the confiscation and sale of this material in accordance with the regulations in force," said the government representative.

Clandestine gold panning is developing more and more in many regions of the country. A situation that often leads to violence leading to the death of men, the destruction of the environment, water pollution with the use of cyanide, a toxic product for humans, despite the many measures to counter this phenomenon. At the end of July 2018, a gendarme was even killed in this context in the north of the country. A recent evaluation of clandestine gold panning made it possible to count, on the whole of the national territory, at least 241 clandestine sites, for a population of gold panners estimated at 23,400 individuals. In neighboring countries, this phenomenon is also recurrent. The interest in this phenomenon is due to the fact that the price of gold is constantly changing. Indeed, if in 2000, the price of gold was 279.84 US / ounce, or 5,218 FCfa per gram, on June 13, 2019, it was 1335.51 US / ounce, or 24,906 FCfa per gram .

Upcoming measures

In the fight against illegal gold panning where the authorities are working hard, several measures are announced in the coming weeks. This concerns the continuation of the operation to dismantle all the clandestine sites in the regions of Gontougo, Indénié-Djuablin and Mé, the opening of school sites in the regions of Gontougo, of the Indénié-Djuablin and the Mé, in order to bring those gold miners who wish to do so out of hiding. On a national scale, the authorities plan to continue and intensify the dismantling of all the clandestine extraction sites, as well as the processing of the ore. While strengthening collaboration with the judicial services, the supervisory ministry intends to carry out joint missions to suppress illegal gold panning with the assistance of Waters and Forests and the National Gendarmerie. Clandestine gold panning “is a threat to our economy”, concludes the speaker.