West Africa’s Gold Rush Turns Hostile as Drones, Cartels, and Armed Patrols Clash Over Rising Gold Stakes

 As the afternoon sun casts its glare over Gold Fields’ expansive Tarkwa gold mine in southwestern Ghana, a small drone ascends into the sky, scanning the vast 210-square-kilometer concession for illegal intrusions. Within minutes, the drone detects suspicious activity, triggering a rapid response team of 15, including armed police.

The team arrives to find abandoned clothing, makeshift trenches, and pools of mercury- and cyanide-laced water—clear evidence of operations by illegal “wildcat” miners. Seven diesel-powered water pumps and a crude gold processing unit known as a “chanfan” are seized.

This high-tech cat-and-mouse game has become increasingly common across West Africa, driven by record-breaking gold prices now exceeding $3,300 per ounce. The surge has intensified confrontations between industrial mining giants and unregulated artisanal miners, exposing both the deep economic dependence on gold and the region's escalating security crisis.

“Eyes in the Sky, Boots on the Ground”

“The dense vegetation conceals illegal mining activity. Without aerial surveillance, you wouldn’t know destruction is happening,” explains Edwin Asare, Head of Protection Services at Gold Fields’ Tarkwa operation. “We use eyes in the sky to guide boots on the ground.”

Since late 2024, nearly 20 illicit miners have died in confrontations near major industrial sites, including Newmont’s operations in Ghana, AngloGold Ashanti’s concessions in Ghana and Guinea, and Nordgold’s Bissa Mine in Burkina Faso. While no mine employees have been reported injured, production disruptions—some lasting up to a month—have spurred mining companies to demand greater military protection.

A Struggle for Survival and Sovereignty

Informal mining remains a critical livelihood for nearly 10 million people across sub-Saharan Africa, according to the United Nations. In West Africa alone, between three and five million individuals rely on small-scale, often unregulated mining, contributing approximately 30% of the region’s gold output.

Many communities, like Senegal’s Kedougou region, have long depended on artisanal mining to supplement incomes from subsistence farming. But as global mining corporations expanded into these territories, locals like 52-year-old Famanson Keita claim promised jobs and development have not materialised. “Our young people are stuck in unstable, low-paying jobs, and farming alone cannot sustain us,” Keita laments.

Meanwhile, illegal operations have become more organised and better funded. Sophisticated dredging equipment, often financed by local cartels and foreign interests—including Chinese entities—has escalated the scale of illicit mining, especially in ecologically sensitive forests and waterways.

Gold Prices Drive Rising Tensions

With central banks increasing gold reserves and geopolitical instability pushing prices potentially toward $5,000 an ounce, experts warn of more violent clashes. “The higher the gold price climbs, the greater the conflict between industrial and informal miners,” says Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel programme at Germany's Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

The consequences are already stark. In January, nine wildcat miners were shot dead after breaching AngloGold Ashanti’s secured concession at Obuasi, Ghana. In Guinea, hundreds of illegal miners stormed AngloGold's Siguiri Mine, requiring military intervention. Newmont’s Ahafo gold site also reported armed clashes, with at least three miners wounded by guards.

In Mali’s Kayes region, illegal mining has expanded rapidly, with Chinese-backed operators deploying heavy equipment to new sites, according to local sources. Reuters has not independently verified the identities or affiliations of these Chinese operators.

The Costs of Control

Governments across West Africa, particularly in Ghana, have intensified crackdowns on illegal mining, targeting both local and foreign actors. Authorities have dismantled dozens of illegal operations, arresting hundreds—many of them Chinese nationals—found operating in protected forests and water bodies.

Illegal mining also fuels gold smuggling. Ghana lost over 229 metric tons of largely artisanal gold to smuggling between 2019 and 2023, depriving the country of significant revenue, according to Swiss NGO Swissaid. “Weak border controls and lax regulations mean much of the gold leaves the country undetected,” says Marc Ummel, a Swissaid researcher.

Artisanal mining also directly threatens the profitability and lifespan of industrial mining sites. “We’re seeing artisanal miners burrow as deep as 100 meters, compromising ore bodies and reducing mine output,” says Adama Soro, President of the West African Federation of Chambers of Mines.

Drones, AI, and Armed Protection

Mining firms are investing heavily in surveillance and security, diverting funds from development projects. One mining company in Ghana spends nearly $500,000 annually on drone surveillance alone but still faces routine incursions.

Companies such as Nordgold, Galiano Gold, B2Gold, and Barrick Gold have all reported similar challenges. Ghana’s major miners have intensified appeals for military deployment at vulnerable sites, with support growing across Burkina Faso and Mali as well.

“We would prefer military presence at all operations, but we prioritise high-risk sites,” says Ahmed Dasana Nantogmah, Chief Operating Officer of Ghana's Chamber of Mines. April negotiations with government officials reportedly yielded "positive" results, although Ghana's government declined to comment publicly.

Authorities have proposed that mining companies bear the financial burden of military deployments, with daily costs reaching 250,000 Ghana cedis (approximately $18,116) per contingent of 50 personnel.

Ghana’s Minerals Commission is also embracing advanced technology. An AI-powered control centre, fed by data from 28 drones, tracks illegal mining activities. Excavators operating beyond approved boundaries can now be remotely disabled.

“This is a winnable battle if technology is fully deployed,” says Sylvester Akpah, a consultant for Ghana’s mining regulator.

As gold prices soar, West Africa finds itself at the intersection of economic survival, environmental degradation, and rising security risks—where the battle for resources is fought both in the skies and on the ground.