Guinea Begins Trials for Illegal Mining Crackdown

Guinean courts have started hearing cases against individuals arrested during a crackdown on unlicensed gold mining in Siguiri. The operation, which began on November 2, resulted in the arrest of 1,263 people, including Guineans and nationals from several West African countries. The prosecutions involve multiple courts, with one case in Conakry bringing together 202 miners and 22 former local administrators.

The Court for the Repression of Economic and Financial Offences, known as CRIEF, began proceedings against the miners on November 10. The court subsequently joined their case with that of the administrators. Following a hearing, the Conakry court adjourned proceedings until November 16. Defence lawyers are challenging the prosecutions, arguing that their clients should not be held responsible for illicit enrichment linked to the mining operations.

Abou Camara, a lawyer representing the miners, argued that his clients are not the ones responsible for the illicit enrichment. "The real culprits are elsewhere, not my clients. We must not use my clients as scapegoats. They are not the ones [responsible]. They are far from being connected to these acts of illicit enrichment." Miners who addressed the court pleaded guilty to charges of illegal mineral extraction and environmental offences.

Several administrators have lost their posts amid accusations that they facilitated or tolerated illegal mining. Their lawyer, Sidiki Berete, disputed the basis for holding them responsible, citing their recent appointment and inheritance of existing problems. "We cannot go after our authorities, who were appointed barely four months ago and inherited this situation. Criminal liability is personal."

The enforcement campaign has displaced large numbers of people across Guinea's borders, prompting complaints from neighbouring governments. Malian authorities reported receiving about 160,000 people expelled from Guinea since the operations began, with six deaths and a warning of a humanitarian emergency. Hundreds of miners have since started leaving an assembly site in Mali aboard buses and trucks.

Burkina Faso has criticised the removal of more than 8,000 of its nationals, alleging that some suffered inhumane and degrading treatment, including injuries and deaths. Security Minister Mahamadou Sana argued that advance communication through diplomatic channels would have allowed Burkina Faso to organise its citizens' return more effectively.

The Guinean government attributed the restrictions to damage to farmland, vegetation, and waterways from mining activities. The government announced security deployments and controls intended to prevent equipment and chemicals from reaching prohibited sites, emphasising that enforcement would apply irrespective of nationality and that security personnel must respect human rights.

Key points

• 1,263 people were arrested during the operation in the northeastern gold-producing region of Siguiri.
• The enforcement campaign has displaced large numbers of people across Guinea's borders, prompting complaints from neighbouring governments.
• The Guinean government restricted unregulated mining due to damage to farmland, vegetation, and waterways from mining activities.