Ivorian gold and diamond syndicate to submit white paper on illegal gold panning to government
The Syndicate of Gold and Diamond Buyers and Sellers of C么te d'Ivoire SAVOD-CI announced on Thursday, August 27, 2026, that it will submit a "White Paper" to the government containing proposals to combat illegal gold panning. This phenomenon is estimated to cause an annual loss of 4,500 billion FCFA for the state. Ibrahim Soumahoro, president of SAVOD-CI, emphasized that the fight against illegal gold panning is crucial for environmental preservation and the national economy. Created in 2025, SAVOD-CI aims to represent legal actors in the gold and diamond sectors and will propose measures for "the promotion of sound gold panning and real gold traceability." The document will be submitted to the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy. Soumahoro also noted a significant reduction in illegal mining sites in C么te d'Ivoire, attributing this success to the operations of security forces. He stated that in 2022, before the creation of the Special Group for the Fight Against Illegal Gold Panning, there were approximately 8,000 illegal sites, a number that has now decreased to less than 1,000. He called for collective reporting to support government efforts and affirmed that SAVOD-CI members maintain a zero-tolerance policy, only trading with legally authorized operators. Illegal gold panning is a major challenge in West Africa, leading to deforestation, water pollution by mercury or cyanide, and sometimes fueling organized crime networks.
