Guinea has expelled 1,557 West African nationals arrested and convicted for illegal gold mining, as the country intensifies a crackdown on unregulated mining operations that have caused significant environmental damage.
Judicial and security sources told AFP on Sunday that a convoy of 44 vehicles transporting the foreign nationals arrived on Saturday at Kouremale, on the border with Mali, after setting off from the capital, Conakry, on Friday.
Most of those expelled were from Burkina Faso and Mali, and had been detained at several sites as part of an official operation against illegal mining. They were released and expelled after being sentenced to terms ranging from 18 months to two years in prison.
Guinea has stepped up its operations against illegal gold mining since the start of this month, particularly in the northeastern region of Siguiri, which borders Mali. The government says it wants to end the unregulated exploitation of mineral resources due to the significant environmental damage it causes.
The crackdown has not been without bloodshed. At least 10 people died in Siguiri on Wednesday after “violent clashes” between miners and security forces, the government said on Thursday.
Guinea’s main opposition grouping on Saturday denounced what it described as an “authoritarian drift” and the use of force “as a method of government” following the deaths.
Tens of thousands of West Africans have been expelled from Guinea in recent years after fleeing poverty and conflict to work in the region’s mines, highlighting the complex humanitarian and economic dimensions of the crackdown.
The mass expulsion comes as Guinea’s military government, led by transitional President Mamadi Doumbouya, seeks to assert control over the country’s mineral wealth, which includes some of the world’s largest reserves of bauxite and significant gold deposits.
