Côte d’Ivoire: Efforts to Combat Illegal Gold Mining Yield Promising Results
The President of the Republic, Alassane Ouattara, presided over a meeting of the National Security Council on July 23, 2026, at the Presidential Palace. The session focused on the general security situation in the country and the progress made in combating illegal gold mining.
According to the report presented by the Groupement spécial de lutte contre l’orpaillage illégal (GS-LOI), created in 2021, more than 8,500 sites of illegal gold mining have been dismantled across the country since 2021. The GS-LOI has also led to the arrest of 4,474 individuals, with 65% being foreign nationals, and the seizure of over 960 million CFA francs, as well as approximately 136 kilograms of gold.
Despite these encouraging results, the National Security Council expressed concern about the persistence and even expansion of illegal gold mining in several regions of the country.
The council emphasized that this activity poses a serious threat to the environment, national security, natural resources, and the Ivorian economy.
To address this issue, President Ouattara has instructed Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé to take all necessary measures to intensify the fight against illegal gold mining.
The prime minister’s main orientations include strengthening the responsibility of administrative authorities, traditional and customary bodies, as well as security forces, particularly through the Comités départementaux de sécurité (CDS) and Cellules civilo-militaires (CCM), which are under the authority of prefects.
President Ouattara has also called for a closer collaboration with diplomatic missions from the countries of origin of illegal gold miners to enhance awareness-raising efforts and facilitate the repatriation of those involved.
The National Security Council emphasized the need to apply rigorous enforcement of anti-illegal mining laws, with Prime Minister Beugré Mambé tasked with presenting a report on strengthening the national anti-illegal mining apparatus in the near future.
The council also decided to increase the operational capabilities of the GS-LOI and security units working in coordination with this group.
Through these new orientations, the Ivorian authorities have demonstrated their commitment to toughening the fight against illegal gold mining to preserve natural resources, protect the environment, ensure national security, and promote economic development.
