The Price Of Guinea's Gold Crackdown: Over 10 Dead, 13 Injured In Clashes

At least 10 people, including five foreign nationals, were killed and 13 injured in clashes between demonstrators and security forces during an operation against illegal gold mining in northeastern Guinea, the government said on Friday.

The violence broke out on Wednesday, in Sètiguiyah, in the Balato district of the Siguiri region, during a joint patrol by defence and security forces enforcing a government ban on uncontrolled artisanal gold mining. The provisional casualty figures were based on information from regional health authorities, according to the government communiqué.

The identities and nationalities of the five foreign nationals killed have not yet been established. The 13 injured include civilians and security personnel.

How The Clashes Erupted

According to the government's account, demonstrators erected barricades to obstruct the security patrol, following which gunfire was exchanged between protesters and security forces. The communiqué did not establish who fired first or provide details of the circumstances in which the people were killed.

The violence also left two pickup vehicles and a security-force truck burned, along with two gold-crushing machines. Several sheds were vandalised, while a firearm and a motorcycle were reportedly taken during the clashes.

The government condemned the violence, called for calm and said prosecutors in Kankan and Siguiri had been instructed to investigate the incident and establish responsibility.

Crackdown On Illegal Mining

The operation followed a November 2 joint order by five government departments, including defence, security, environment and mines, imposing a total ban on uncontrolled and illegal gold mining in the Siguiri administrative region. Authorities cited environmental damage, destruction of agricultural land and pollution of the Niger and Tinkisso river systems as reasons for the crackdown.

The government had also announced a permanent deployment of defence and security forces to enforce the restrictions, which cover mining in riverbeds, agricultural areas, pastures, protected zones and classified forests.

The crackdown has involved mass arrests and judicial proceedings. A government statement published on Monday said 1,412 people had been arrested in Siguiri and Kérouané, including 1,263 in Siguiri. The first cases were sent to judicial authorities, with 202 defendants subsequently facing proceedings before Guinea's Economic and Financial Crimes Repression Court (CRIEF). The case was joined with proceedings involving 22 territorial administrators.

The deaths at Balato mark a deadly escalation in the enforcement campaign. The government has reiterated its determination to continue implementing the mining ban while prosecutors investigate the circumstances of the clashes.