Gold fields could be source of stability for the Sahel

Significance

However, the region’s governments have not been able to take advantage of it, allowing artisanal gold fields to act as a magnet for violence and to contribute to funding armed groups. Crackdowns have pushed gold miners further towards armed groups and made goldfields key trafficking hubs for trans-Sahelian crime.

Impacts

• Lacking regulatory frameworks and government oversight, artisanal gold mining is creating health and environmental challenges.
• Legalising the gold economy would reduce criminal opportunities to profit from it and over time make the region more stable.
• Economic pressures and extreme poverty will keep pushing Sahelian migrants towards gold fields.