Burkina Faso urges restraint after gold miners expelled from Guinea
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on AIB
Burkina Faso’s government has urged civic vigilance groups to avoid reprisals after Burkinabè gold miners were expelled from Guinea. Ministers Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo and Yacouba Zabré Gouba called for responsible communication to avoid worsening tensions, according to AIB.
Burkina Faso’s Communications Minister Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo on Tuesday urged civic vigilance groups to avoid messages of reprisal after Burkinabè gold miners were expelled from Guinea. He asked them to prioritise responsible communication and not to spread messages of hatred or division, according to the Burkina Information Agency (AIB).
The Burkinabè government does not dispute the regulation of artisanal gold mining, but regrets the circumstances in which Burkinabè nationals were expelled from Guinea, Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo said. A crisis unit has been set up to manage the situation, he added.
The minister also called for the dignity of those concerned to be preserved, particularly in the dissemination of images and information on social media. He urged members of the National Coordination of Civic Vigilance Associations (CNAVC) and the Bir-C to contribute to unity among Burkinabè people and solidarity among African peoples, according to AIB.
The call comes after more than 8,000 Burkinabè gold miners were expelled from Guinea, an event announced on 7 November about which Ouagadougou reported violence. Burkina Faso had then denounced the conditions of the expulsions of Burkinabè gold miners.
