Gabon withdraws dozens of mining permits over violations
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on La Nouvelle Tribune
Gabon’s Ministry of Mines has withdrawn dozens of exploration and operating permits after finding that their holders were failing to comply with sector rules. The permits concerned cover eight provinces and belong in particular to Abice Mining Gabon, Gabon Gold Mining and SMO, according to the ministerial statement published on 19 October.
Gabon has withdrawn dozens of mining exploration and operating permits after violations of legal and regulatory requirements were identified. The decision, made public on 19 October in Libreville, concerns permits located in eight of the country’s nine provinces, according to a statement from the Ministry of Mines and Geological Resources.
The audit, conducted from 29 June to 16 October under the 2018 Mining Act, examined the permits’ compliance, the technical capabilities and the financial strength of the companies holding them. Companies cited for their exploration permits include Abice Mining Gabon, Afrique Resources, Gabon Gold Mining and Jin He Mining; the operating permits concerned include, in particular, those of SMO, Société des mines et carrières du Gabon, Agil Gabon and Global Mine Development.
The Gabonese authorities are threatening legal proceedings against operators that fail to comply with regulations. The country’s gold production remains estimated at around two tonnes a year, mainly from alluvial gold, according to Société équatoriale des mines.
