An illegal gold mine collapsed late last week in Mali, killing more than 70 people, an official said Wednesday, and the search continues amid fears the toll could rise .
Karim Berthé , a senior official at the government's National Directorate of Geology and Mines, confirmed the details to The Associated Press and called it an accident. About a hundred people were in the mine at the time of the collapse, according to Abdoulaye Pona, president of the Mali Chamber of Mines , who was present at the scene.
The cause of the collapse , which occurred on Friday in Kangaba district in the south-west of the Koulikoro region, is under investigation. It was first reported on Tuesday in a press release from the Ministry of Mines, which estimated the number of miners who died at “several” .
Such tragedies are common in Mali, Africa's third largest gold producer. Artisanal miners – small-scale and informal – are often accused of ignoring safety measures , particularly in remote areas.
“The State must bring order to this artisanal mining sector in order to avoid this type of accident in the future ,” declared Mr. Berthé. The statement from the Ministry of Mines "deeply regrets" the collapse and calls on miners and communities living near mining sites to "comply with safety requirements" .
In recent years, there have been concerns that profits from unregulated mining in northern Mali could benefit extremists active in that part of the country. The region where this latest collapse occurred, however, is much further south and closer to the capital, Bamako.
“Gold is by far Mali's most important export, accounting for more than 80% of total exports in 2021 ,” according to the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. More than 2 million people, or more than 10% of the Malian population , depend on the mining sector for their income.
It is estimated that artisanal gold mining produces around 30 tonnes of gold per year and represents 6% of Mali's annual gold production. The Ministry of Mines has estimated that the country has 800 tonnes of gold deposits . The country also has about 2 million gold prospectors operating in some 300 artisanal mining sites, Pona said.
Sudan : A UN report confirms a large-scale displacement from West Kordofan as a result of the clashes
The United Nations confirmed the occurrence of a large wave of displacement of Sudanese civilians from West Kordofan State as a result of clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, while the Emergency Lawyers Authority revealed that 23 people were killed within three days.
The United Nations announced on Thursday a massive displacement of civilians from the city of Babanusa in West Kordofan state, southern Sudan, as a result of the fighting that has been ongoing for 3 days between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs stated in a report that “clashes renewed between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in the city of Babanusa, on January 23 (Tuesday).”
He explained, "The air strikes carried out by the Sudanese Armed Forces and targeting the positions of the Rapid Support Forces south of the city of Babanusa led to a large-scale displacement of civilians throughout the city."
The UN office added that "estimates regarding the number of displaced people have not yet been confirmed."
On Wednesday, the Sudanese Emergency Lawyers Authority said in a statement, “The Rapid Support Forces attacked the city of Babanusa in West Kordofan State and its surrounding villages, and battles took place between them and the Sudanese army with light and heavy weapons and aerial and artillery bombardment.”
This led, according to the Commission, to “23 civilian deaths, more than 30 injuries, and the displacement of large numbers of civilians to other, safer areas.”
The statement condemned "the Rapid Support Forces continuing to expand the scope of the war in safe cities and terrorizing civilians."
Clashes broke out since Monday between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in the city of Babanusa, the largest city in West Darfur state.
The Rapid Support Forces are seeking to control the vital city where the leadership of the 22nd Infantry Division of the Sudanese army is located.
Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese army, led by the head of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti,” have been waging a war that has left more than 13,000 dead and more than 7 million displaced and refugees, according to the United Nations.