C么te d'Ivoire dismantles over 8,500 illegal gold mining sites in under six years
via Abidjan.net9 min read
A National Security Council CNS meeting, chaired by President Alassane Ouattara on Thursday, July 23, 2026, reviewed C么te d'Ivoire's general security situation. The Council commended the results in combating illegal gold mining, attributing success to the Special Group for the Fight Against Illegal Gold Mining GS-LOI, established in 2021. From 2021 to the first half of 2026, over 8,500 illegal gold mining sites were dismantled nationwide. Operations led to the prosecution of 4,474 individuals, 65% of whom were foreign nationals, and the seizure of over 960 million FCFA and approximately 136 kilograms of gold. Various equipment used in these illicit activities were confiscated and destroyed. Despite these encouraging outcomes, the CNS noted the persistence and expansion of illegal gold mining in several regions, considering it a serious threat to the environment, national security, natural resources, and the Ivorian economy. President Ouattara instructed Prime Minister Robert Beugr茅 Mamb茅 to intensify efforts against this phenomenon, emphasizing stronger accountability for administrative, traditional, and customary authorities, as well as defense and security forces, particularly through departmental security committees and civil-military cells under prefects. The President also called for increased collaboration with diplomatic representations of the illegal miners' countries of origin for awareness campaigns and repatriation. The Council stressed strict enforcement of repres
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Must ReadOrange Bank Africa OBA and the Soci茅t茅 de Garantie des Cr茅dits aux PME SGPME signed two partnership agreements on July 23, 2026, to mobilize up to 17 billion FCFA in financing for Ivorian very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises VSEs/SMEs and intermediate-sized enterprises ETIs. Of this amount, 4 billion FCFA is specifically allocated to women's entrepreneurship. The agreements were signed during OBA's 6th anniversary celebration. Audrey Koffi, Director General of Orange Bank Africa, highlighted that the primary challenge for many of these businesses is access to financing, and these conventions aim to address that. Jo毛lle Kouassi, Director General of SGPME, explained that SGPME, an entity established by the Ivorian state to support SME financing, will guarantee these credits at a minimum of 50% and up to 70%. This initiative, supported by the French Development Agency and the World Bank, seeks to enhance financial inclusion and economic growth through digital financing.
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