After Guinea banned artisanal gold mining by decree on 2 November, including in Siguiri, the Burkinabè newspaper Le Pays considers the measure legitimate given cyanide pollution and forest destruction, but criticises the lack of consultation with the authorities of neighbouring countries whose nationals are being expelled. Ivory Coast and Senegal have taken similar measures, according to the daily.
After Guinea banned artisanal gold mining by decree on 2 November, including in Siguiri, the Burkinabè newspaper Le Pays considers the measure legitimate given cyanide pollution and forest destruction, but criticises the lack of consultation with the authorities of neighbouring countries whose nationals are being expelled. Ivory Coast and Senegal have taken similar measures, according to the daily.
The suspension of illegal gold mining in Siguiri by Guinean authorities has prompted thousands of foreign miners to leave for Mali, a large proportion of them Burkinabè. Bamako says that more than 40,000 people of various nationalities have been recorded in Kourémalé, according to Guinee360, amid diplomatic tensions and regional humanitarian concerns.
Mali's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has mobilised several dozen buses, through the Malian Council of Road Transporters, to repatriate Burkinabè nationals staying at reception sites in Bamako. The first convoy left on 6 November in the presence of Burkina Faso's ambassador to Mali, Bamada.net reports.
Several hundred foreign nationals have been detained in Guinea during operations against illegal gold mining and subsequently handed over to their consular authorities. Foreign Minister Morissanda Kouyaté is defending a policy aimed at regulating gold mining rather than banning it, according to Guinee7.
Burkinabè families and young people who arrived from Guinea after leaving gold-mining sites are seeking transport from Bamako to return to Burkina Faso. Their departure follows Guinean measures against illegal mining, while Malian authorities have announced arrangements to receive and transport them, according to local media and CECOGEC.
A major influx of foreign nationals was reported on 4 November 2026 at the Mali-Guinea border, heading towards Bamako. CECOGEC attributed the movement to Guinea’s measures against illegal gold panning and said Malian authorities were organising the reception and return of those concerned.
