Mining industry of Burkina Faso

Gold Mining often plays a significant role in Burkina Faso’s economy. Burkina Faso has become Africa's 4th biggest producer of gold in 2012. Production of mineral commodities is limited to cement, dolomite, gold, granite, marble, phosphate rock, pumice, other volcanic materials, and salt.[1]

Child slavery is commonplace in the gold industry.[2] Mining accidents are not uncommon, with one of the most prominent cases being when eight miners were trapped underground in the Canadian-owned zinc mine in Perkoa by flood waters.[3] The unexpected flooding happened during dry season at Burkina Faso on 16 April 2022. While other workers have evacuated safely, the 8 missing workers were working below level 520 or 520 meters from the surface.[4][5]

  1. ^ Omayra Bermúdez-Lugo. "The Mineral Industry of Benin, Burkina Faso, and Sao Tome e Principe". 2006 Minerals Yearbook. U.S. Geological Survey (October 2007). This article incorporates text from this U.S. government source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ "Child trafficking victims freed in Burkina Faso". Archived from the original on 2012-11-29. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
  3. ^ "Four bodies recovered in Burkina Faso mine". BBC News. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  4. ^ Ndiaga, Thiam (2022-05-02). "Burkina Faso investigates mine flood as search for eight workers drags on". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  5. ^ "Two more miners found dead in flooded Burkina Faso mine". Reuters. 2022-05-28. Retrieved 2022-05-29.