Tag: Illegal Mining
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Sand Smuggling Plagues West Africa, Fueling Crime and Environmental Crisis
A silent crisis, unfolding in the rivers and on the coasts of West Africa, is fueling transnational crime and devastating communities: the illegal smuggling of sand. While often overlooked, sand is the second most exploited resource in the world after water, and unprecedented demand is driving a lucrative black market. Recent international operations reveal that…
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🇲🇿 In Mozambique, a group of illegal miners killed two police officers guarding a ruby mine.
“A group of about 40 illegal miners came to the gates of the Montepuez Ruby Mining. They attacked Mozambican police officers at the gates and killed two,” said a statement from the British mining company Gemfields, which owns the site. The company reported that the attack is related to a clash between district immigration authorities…
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🇬🇭 Ghana government faces lawsuit over deal to accept migrant deportees from US
Civil society group says Ghana-US migration deal is ‘unconstitutional,’ citing lack of parliamentary approval and violation of international law A Ghana-based civil society group has filed a lawsuit against the Ghanaian government, saying the country’s acceptance of irregular migrants deported from the US is “unconstitutional,” Politico reported on Wednesday. According to the report, Democracy Hub…
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Ghana Restructures Gold Trade: Foreign Companies Ordered Out of Small-Scale Sector by April 2025
Accra, Ghana – April 20, 2025 — In a bold move to reshape its gold industry and clamp down on illegal mining, the Republic of Ghana has announced sweeping reforms to its small-scale gold sector. Effective April 30, 2025, all foreign companies involved in the trade of small-scale gold must exit the market. Only state-affiliated…
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Chinese Miners Released Despite Operating Illegally in the DRC, Sparking Outrage
On December 24, 2024, the Congolese government released 14 of the 17 Chinese nationals arrested the previous week for operating an illegal gold mine in Karhembo, South Kivu Province. The arrests had followed an unannounced raid by local authorities on the unlicensed mining operation. The released individuals are now en route back to China, while…