Mine Collapse in Mali Leaves Scores Dead

Artisanal mining poses numerous health and safety risks (Free Malaysia Today). 

A landslide in an abandoned mine in Mali caused the death of over 40 on Saturday, February 15. 

Villagers had climbed into the abandoned mine in search of gold before a caterpillar machine broke, causing a landslide. Located in the gold-rich Kayes region, Bilali Koto mine was originally an industrial mine under Chinese oversight before Chinese officials took their operations—and safety precautions—elsewhere. Officials disagree on the exact figure but estimate that up to 48 people lost their lives in the collapse. 

The Bilali Koto collapse is the second deadly mining accident in the last month and one of countless in the history of Mali. On January 29, several gold miners drowned in a flooded mine in the Koulikoro region. Last year, a landslide in the capital of Bamako killed over 70. 

Mali has some of the largest natural deposits of gold, iron ore, manganese, and uranium, making it one of the biggest gold producers in the world: 80 percent of the country’s exports are gold, and 10 percent of Malians work in the gold mining sector. In a given year, Mali’s government takes in revenue for 50 to 60 tons of gold. However, unofficial accounts suggest that they are missing the opportunity to mine an additional 30 tons a year.   

Artisanal mining, or orpaillage in French, is the unofficial—and often illegal—operation of mines by individual villagers or unsanctioned groups. In Mali, there are over 350 artisanal mines, and 100,000 to 200,000 Malians, at least 20,000 of which are children, scour these mines in search of gold. Artisanal mining relies on dangerous low-tech and labor-intensive methods to dig shafts, crush iron ore, and pan it for gold. Artisanal miners risk long-term spinal and cranial injuries from heavy weights and falling rocks, mercury poisoning from the liquid metal used to separate gold from iron ore, and—in the case of the women at Bilali Koto—death from landslides and collapses. Miner Ibrahim K. explained to Human Rights Watch, “It's dangerous—there are often collapses. People are injured. Three died in a cave-in. The little children don't come down into the hole. What they do about safety is that the big men bring sacrifices [such as] butter, lamb, chicken…. I have had problems since working there—my back hurts and I have problems urinating. No one says anything to me about safety.” 

Surging demand for gold caused a rise in gold prices in 2020; prices have still not fallen. The high prices have pushed Malians and migrants from Guinea and Nigeria to take increased risks to find gold amidst economic impoverishment. Over 90 percent of Malians live in poverty, surviving with less than a dollar a day. Following the terrorism attacks in 2015 and military coup by Colonel Assimi Goïta in 2020, economic progress in Mali slowed further, leaving the young population of Mali dependent on mining for income. The frequent electricity blackouts and ongoing security crisis jeopardize the lives of even experienced miners, let alone artisanal ones. 

"The gold attracts large foreign groups, who work with the authorization of the power, but also artisanal gold miners from all over the region that the authorities struggle to restrain and who take considerable risks without any protection. Artisanal mines are thriving and attracting thousands of gold miners from all over the region in search of wealth,” reports Le Monde. 

Over 435 tons of gold was smuggled out in 2022. Gold from artisanal mines are sold to middlemen in Bamako before being transferred to refineries in the UAE and Switzerland. Those refineries then rebrand the gold as Swiss and UAE before selling them abroad, making it hard to trace back to the illegal mines. Local officials turn a blind eye and even support operations if they get taxes from miners. Usually, officials “rent” out mining shafts and equipment for 10,000 CFA franc (USD 20.73), splitting the fee three ways between the mayor, tribal chief, and village leader. This leaves the miners in a cycle of debt and poverty. In other cases, extremist jihadist groups and gangs run the mines as a trafficking operation. 

So far, government regulations have focused on industrial mines. The new military government in Mali changed the Mining Code in 2023 and raised taxes for foreign firms, causing a dispute with gold giant Barrick Gold; they recently reached a 275 billion CFA franc (US$438 million). Despite moves for tighter control over foreign mines, the government has yet to address artisanal mining. How to change the illegal operations of these mines remains very complicated. A boycott of Malian gold would only further impoverish the Malians in the mines. They need education and a different, stable income source that keeps them out of the mines in the first place. Some experts suggest a formalization of artisanal mining so that the government can provide oversight and enforce safety regulations.