An armed robbery at an informal gold mining site in southwestern Burkina Faso has left eight people dead, including a teenage schoolboy, according to security and judicial sources.
The attack occurred on Sunday evening in Djikando, roughly 10 kilometres from the town of Gaoua, an area known for its gold mining activities.
A police officer, speaking anonymously, described how the armed gang arrived at the site and opened fire.
“They first shot in the air, then turned their weapons on the miners,” the officer said.
Following the assault, tensions escalated when local residents set fire to mining installations, blaming the miners for the violence and loss of life. In the chaos, eight people were killed, among them a 15-year-old schoolboy.
Dozens Injured in the Attack
Medical staff at Gaoua Central Hospital confirmed that at least 29 people were being treated for injuries. Dr. Florent Roch Banazaro, the hospital’s director of medico-technical services, said the wounds were mostly from gunfire and machete attacks.
Gaoua’s public prosecutor, Cheik Alfa Aboubakar Compaore, verified the provisional death toll and confirmed that some victims had been shot, while others were killed with machetes.
Gold Mining: A Vital but Dangerous Industry
Gold mining has grown into a strategic sector for Burkina Faso’s economy over the past decade. Traditionally reliant on cotton exports, the country has seen gold production rise from 400 kilogrammes in 2007 to over 52 tonnes in 2018, according to the national chamber of mines.
The official gold industry employs around 15,000 workers directly and supports another 50,000 indirectly. However, the artisanal mining sub-sector — made up of informal operations like the one attacked in Djikando — is far larger, providing livelihoods for roughly 1.5 million people and producing an estimated 10 tonnes of gold annually.
While this informal mining industry is an essential source of income for many rural communities, it is also fraught with risk. The sites often lack proper security, making them vulnerable to gang activity and armed robberies.
A Source of Funding for Armed Groups
Security experts have long warned that informal gold mining sites in Burkina Faso are increasingly targeted by jihadist groups operating in the Sahel region. These groups exploit gold mining as a source of income to fund their operations, using the profits to purchase weapons and maintain their networks.
Bordering Mali and Niger, Burkina Faso has faced regular jihadist attacks since 2015. The violence has claimed more than 1,200 lives and displaced over one million people. Many attacks target rural communities, markets, and resource-rich areas like gold mines.
Call for Stronger Security Measures
The Djikando incident underscores the urgent need for enhanced security at mining sites, especially in remote areas where state presence is limited. Local authorities and security experts argue that without stronger protection for miners, both the formal and informal gold sectors will remain vulnerable to exploitation by criminal gangs and armed extremists.
As Burkina Faso’s reliance on gold mining grows, the safety of those working in the industry remains a pressing concern. The country’s challenge is to balance economic opportunity with the protection of human lives in a region where resources and security are constantly under threat.
