(Agence Ecofin) – For the past few months, Burkinabé mining policy has been in the spotlight because of the supposed presence of the Russian private paramilitary group Wagner in the country, known to pay for itself through the mining resources of the countries where it operates.
In Burkina Faso, the mining permit obtained by the company Nordgold in the center-north of Burkina Faso last December was not awarded to it because of its Russian origins. This is what Simon Pierre Boussim, Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries of this West African country, defends.
Speaking at the microphone of Reuters on the sidelines of the 2023 edition of the Mining Indaba international conference, which is currently being held in Cape Town in South Africa, the leader affirmed that Burkina does not give “ no permits for people because they come from Russia, or from the United States […].We license businesses that pay taxes and follow our laws ».
As explained in December 2022 the Ecofin Agency based on the databaseEcofin Pro, the only Russian mining company officially active in gold mining in Burkina has been so for more than a decade. A presence prior to recent statements by Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo accusing the regime in power, since the September 2022 coup, of having offered a mine to the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, in exchange for its help in the war against terrorism.
Recall that Nordgold operates in Burkina Faso the Bissa-Bouly gold complex, and the Taparko gold mine where activities have been suspended since last April because of the terrorist threat. The new permit obtained by the Russian company relates to the Yimiougou gold deposit and this project should directly bring in 5.35 billion FCFA ($8.57 million) to the state coffers over a period of 4 years.
Read also:
21/12/2022 – Burkina Faso: the Minister of Mines denies the award of a mine to the private Russian company Wagner
08/12/2022 – Burkina Faso: the government authorizes the Russian Nordgold to exploit the gold of Yimiougou