Mining Provides Economic Boon for the Region, but Instability in Mali also Makes it Vulnerable
Kedougou, one of the poorest regions of Senegal, is home to over 20 nationalities. Foreigners, mainly from other countries in West Africa, come to Kedougou to try their luck in striking gold.
Gold mining is not new in the region bordering Mali and Guinea. Farmers and villagers have practiced it on an artisanal level for decades, but since the 2010s, Senegal’s gold mining sector has grown considerably. Locals searching for higher incomes moved from agriculture to small-scale mining on their lands.
Word of the gold later drew foreigners in large numbers, and foreign companies set up industrial and semi-mechanized mines. The gold rush has come at the expense of the locals, some of whom have seen parts of their land grabbed and their environment polluted.
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