By Issiaka N’Guessan in Abidjan
Far from Abidjan, the economic capital of Côte d’Ivoire, on the edge of the forest zone in the west and the wooded savannah in the center, 19 km from Séguéla, in the sub-prefecture of Worofla, one of the sub-prefectures of the Worodougou region, installations, factories, administrative and technical sites, golden room accessible to saints, circular holes. To get to the base, you have to pass through several checkpoints. The new gold mine, the fifth operated by the Canadian company Fortuna Roxgold Sango and the 14th in the country, is located in the bush, which is now off-limits to the inhabitants of three villages. The appetite for gold has invaded the country, now plagued by illegal gold panning, which the authorities are trying to combat as best they can.
On September 15, all the region’s top officials were present, and the locals were enthusiastic. And with good reason…
A bonanza for the region
The Minister of Mines, Petroleum and Energy, Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly, travelled to the region to officially inaugurate the activities of the Canadian company Roxgold Sango, a subsidiary of Fortuna Silver Mines. This is the first gold mine in the Worodougou region, the 14th gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire and the 22nd in the country. Production is expected to reach a total of 108,048,000 ounces of gold, or 4 tonnes per year. Mine life, initially eight (8) years, revised to eleven (11) years by CEO Jorge Gardoza. Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly was delighted with the good news.
The mine, which was launched in August 2022, has been in operation for three months and has generated FCFA 100 million for the villages of Kouégo, Bangana and Tiéma, whose arable land is rich in the precious stone. The villages have formed a local mining development committee (CDLM).
Industrial and mining development in Côte d’Ivoire is good for the economy
The Managing Director of Compagnie Ivoirienne d’Électricité (CIE), Ahmadou Bakayoko, explains that « industrial development and the development of mining in Côte d’Ivoire is good for the economy, but it requires a lot of energy, so we had to install a dedicated line to supply this site with quite a lot of power – more than 9 megawatts – to be able to meet 100% of the plant’s needs ».
« For the time being, they (Roxgold Sango) are in the start-up phase, but gradually they will use the full capacity, » says Ahmadou Bakayoko. The managing director of CIE and SODECI assures us that « the facilities are already in place to keep pace with the plant’s ramp-up ». We produce enough electricity in Côte d’Ivoire to meet the needs of both individuals and industry, » says Ahmadou Bakayoko, although he admits that « the grid needs to be strengthened according to zones and needs ».
Business environment
40% of the workforce at this new mine comes from the villages, 10% of whom are women. Jorge Gardoza, CEO of RoxGold Sango, promised « respect for the environment » and « transparent » mining operations. The Canadian praised the business and investment environment in Côte d’Ivoire and highlighted the contribution of the local communities of Kouégo, Tiéma and Bangana « during exploration and construction (of the technical sites) ». Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly expressed his satisfaction with this major investment in the Worodougou region, which is expected to generate CFAF 80 billion for the Ivorian government and CFAF 4 billion for local communities for social projects. According to the Director General of Mines, Seydou Coulibaly, another mine will soon be opened in the sub-prefecture of Kani, also in the Worodougou region.
Tackling the challenge of illegal gold mining
With FCFA 765 billion, representing 78% of the sector and 4% of GDP, the mining industry is dominated at local level by ten major companies. These are Barrick Gold owning the Tongon mining company in M’bengué (North), Société des Mines d’Ity, which belongs to Endeavour Mining (West), Agbaou Gold Operations (Centre-West), Perseus Mining and Société des Mines de Daapleu. Lagune Exploitation Bongouanou, one of the first Ivorian companies to mine bauxite. Exgold and Stone Consulting complete the list of 10 companies that have previously mined in Côte d’Ivoire. Fortuna Silver Mines and Roxgold Sango have just joined the list.
Côte d’Ivoire, which is seeking to diversify its economy and is increasing the number of permits to do so in response to growing interest in the country’s subsoil, is committed to tackling the challenge of illegal gold mining. This scourge is spreading throughout the country, generating untold profits and contributing to corruption. A security unit has been set up within the National Gendarmerie to track down these enemies of the subsoil economy. This move has reassured major international companies such as Fortuna Silver Mines, which bought the Séguéla concession from the Ivorians.
Meeting the challenge of combating illegal gold mining
With FCFA 765 billion, a 78% share of this economic sector, and 4% of GDP, the mining sector is held by ten majors at local level. These are Barrick Gold, which owns the Tongon mining company in M’bengué (North), Société des Mines d’Ity, owned by Endeavour Mining (West), Agbaou Gold Operations (Centre-West), Perseus Mining and Société des Mines de Daapleu. Lagune exploitation Bongouanou, one of the first Ivorian-owned companies to mine bauxite. Exgold and Stone Consulting complete the list of 10 companies that used to mine in Côte d’Ivoire. Fortuna Silver Mines and Roxgold Sango have just joined the list.
Côte d’Ivoire, which intends to diversify its economy and is increasing the number of permits to do so in response to growing interest in the country’s subsoil, is committed to meeting the challenge of combating illegal gold mining. This scourge is spreading throughout the country, generating untold profits and contributing to corruption. A security unit has been set up within the Gendarmerie Nationale to track down these enemies of the subsoil economy. This move has reassured major international firms such as Fortuna Silver Mines, which bought the Séguéla license from Ivorians.
