Guinea has imposed a total ban on illegal and disorderly gold mining in the northeastern Siguiri region, following government inspections that documented severe damage to land, forests, and waterways.
The government prohibited mining in riverbeds and along riverbanks, on farmland and grazing areas, in protected zones and classified forests, and near homes or public infrastructure, in a joint ministerial statement published on November 2.
It also banned the use of dredgers, explosives, mercury, cyanide, and other hazardous chemicals at mining sites.
Authorities said recent missions found that heavy machinery had destroyed soil, agricultural land, and vegetation, while mining waste and runoff had polluted and silted the Niger River, the Tinkisso River, and their tributaries.
The crackdown comes amid evidence that Siguiri’s long-running gold boom has created serious ecological and public-health risks. A 2026 study found “very high” ecological risk at all six sampled artisanal-mining sites, driven largely by mercury contamination from gold-amalgamation practices.
Other research has found that river water in Siguiri mining areas can contain mercury, lead, cadmium, nickel, and manganese above guideline values, with contamination generally more severe in rivers than in boreholes. Mercury and cyanide residues can infiltrate shallow groundwater, threatening drinking-water supplies in the prefecture.
Guinea will deploy a permanent surveillance system involving the army, gendarmerie, police, customs officers, and nature-conservation personnel. Security forces will inspect roads, river routes, and regional entry points to stop the movement of machinery, dredgers, explosives, and chemicals linked to illegal mining.
The authorities will also check the identity and residency status of people at mining sites; foreign nationals found to be in Guinea illegally will face legal procedures. The statement further prohibits anyone from offering protection to individuals or companies involved in unlawful operations.
The move follows reports that President Mamadi Doumbouya dismissed 22 Siguiri territorial administrators over alleged involvement in facilitating illegal mining. Siguiri is one of Guinea’s principal gold-producing areas, where artisanal mining has expanded sharply.
