Senegalese Army Seizes Equipment in Crackdown on Illegal Gold Mining Near Falémé River

The Senegalese army seized 37 pumps and other equipment used in illegal gold mining on November 9 in Sekhoto, near the Falémé River, according to a press release from the Directorate of Public Relations of the Armed Forces (Dirpa) on Sunday.

The operation, led by forces from Military Zone No. 4, also resulted in the confiscating of generators, motorcycles, and various mining equipment.

This action is part of ongoing efforts to enforce a presidential decree that bans mining within a 500-meter zone around the Falémé River.

Mining-related dredging and chemical discharges have helped pollute the Faleme, which flows from the uplands in Guinea, down a large section of Senegal’s border with Mali, and into the Senegal River.

The Senegalese Press Agency, in August, reported that a survey found the number of illegal mining sites along the Senegalese and Malian sides of the Faleme has risen to over 800 from 600 in 2021

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye highlighted the environmental dangers posed by illegal mining in the region during a visit to Kédougou on October 18, noting that the decree aims to protect water resources and ecosystems

According to the decree published, mining will be suspended on all Senegalese territory up to 500 metres (546.81 yards) from the river’s left bank and remain in place until June 30, 2027.

The exclusion zone was established to secure water supply for several major cities, including Dakar, Touba, Thiès, and Mbour.

This is a major concern when we know that the Falémé is a tributary of the Senegal River, which supplies water for domestic use as far as Dakar, President Faye said during his visit.

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