Ivory Coast clamps down on illegal gold mining

Ivory Coast is intensifying its crackdown on an illegal artisanal gold mining boom by increasing security surveillance. The Ivorian government approved a bill in September 2026 introducing prison sentences of up to 20 years.

The law specifically targets financiers, sponsors, receivers of illicit goods, and site owners, with cumulative sentences increasing if a public official is involved. Mercury and heavy metal contamination from unregulated mining has severely degraded soils, destroyed forests, and polluted roughly 80% of the country's water bodies.

Moreover, smugglers illegally export 30 to 40 tons of gold annually, costing the state more than 4 billion dollars in lost revenue.