As gold prices soar past $3,300 per ounce, a high-tech cat-and-mouse game is unfolding across West Africa’s goldfields, where mining companies are turning to drone surveillance to combat a surge in illegal mining activities, reports Reuters.
At the Tarkwa mine in southwestern Ghana, operated by Gold Fields, drones equipped with high-resolution cameras scan the lush 210-square-kilometer site daily. During one recent patrol, a drone detected signs of illegal activity—abandoned clothing, freshly dug trenches, and contaminated water. Within 20 minutes, a rapid response team including armed police arrived and seized equipment, including water pumps and gold extraction machinery.
“This terrain is dense. Without drones, we’d never see the damage until it’s too late,” said Edwin Asare, head of protection services at the Tarkwa mine. “Eyes in the sky allow us to act before it’s irreversible.”
The crackdown comes as gold hits historic highs, driven by central bank demand and geopolitical instability, which analysts say could soon push prices beyond $5,000 an ounce. But the boom has drawn thousands of wildcat miners, intensifying often deadly confrontations with corporate concessions.
Since late 2024, nearly 20 illegal miners have been killed during clashes at operations run by Newmont, AngloGold Ashanti, and Nordgold in Ghana, Guinea, and Burkina Faso. Some confrontations have halted production for weeks, prompting mining firms to demand military protection.
Yet, unregulated mining remains a lifeline for millions. A UN report estimates 10 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa rely on artisanal mining, with up to 30% of West Africa’s gold production stemming from such operations.
In Senegal, miner Famanson Keita says local communities feel betrayed: “We were promised jobs and development. Instead, we’ve been pushed aside. Now our youth are scraping by, sometimes risking their lives.”
Artisanal mining has grown more organized and well-funded, often backed by local cartels and foreign financiers, including Chinese operators deploying advanced dredging equipment. In Mali’s Kayes region, one operator told Reuters that illegal sites have surged, often beyond the reach of weak regulations and porous borders.
The impact is vast. Ghana lost over 229 metric tons of artisanal gold to smuggling from 2019 to 2023, according to Swissaid, costing the nation millions in lost revenue.
To stem the tide, Ghana’s Minerals Commission is launching an AI-powered control center to process drone data, track excavators via GPS, and remotely disable machines operating outside authorized zones. "This is a fight we can win with technology," said Sylvester Akpah, a consultant for the initiative.
Meanwhile, mining giants including B2Gold, Galiano Gold, Barrick Gold, and Nordgold are intensifying lobbying efforts. Ghana’s Chamber of Mines has met with government officials, requesting the deployment of armed military units to high-risk sites. Authorities have reportedly asked companies to cover daily costs—250,000 Ghanaian cedis ($18,116) per contingent of 50 personnel.
While government silence persists, industry insiders say agreements are progressing. “It’s not ideal, but safety and operational stability are at stake,” said Ahmed Dasana Nantogmah, COO of Ghana's Chamber of Mines.
With gold’s allure growing and enforcement intensifying, the region’s gold rush is increasingly becoming a battleground between survival-driven miners and billion-dollar corporations—monitored by drones, enforced by guns, and governed by global markets.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
