187 illegal gold miners detained in two Ivory Coast protected areas
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Aip
Surveillance operations in the third quarter led to the detention of 187 illegal gold miners among 307 people in Taï National Park and the Cavally Natural Reserve. The Ivorian Office of Parks and Reserves also seized two vehicles, water pumps and gas cylinders, according to AIP.
Surveillance operations carried out in the third quarter of 2026 in Taï National Park and the Cavally Natural Reserve, two protected areas in western Ivory Coast, led to the detention of 187 illegal gold miners among 307 people arrested, according to the Ivorian Office of Parks and Reserves (OIPR). The figures were presented on 22 October in Guiglo by Colonel Richard Zouo, a studies officer at the organisation’s technical directorate.
Of the gold miners detained, 183 were apprehended in Taï National Park and four in the Cavally Natural Reserve. Officers also seized equipment used for illegal gold mining, including two vehicles placed under seal, water pumps and gas cylinders, the OIPR told the Ivorian Press Agency (AIP).
The two areas face different pressures: illegal gold mining is particularly prevalent in Taï National Park, while the clearing of sections of forest poses a greater threat to the Cavally reserve. The OIPR announced that patrols and investigations with judicial services would continue to identify those responsible for the illegal mining networks.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Taï National Park is home to pygmy hippopotamuses, forest elephants and chimpanzees, among other species. The Cavally Natural Reserve, created in 2023, extends the Taï-Sapo forest massif.
