Nothing will be as before: Shifting political opportunity structures in protests against gold mining in Burkina Faso

Abstract

This article seeks to explore what enables mining-related protests in the affected localities to become manifest. In an empirical analysis of three local conflicts over gold mining in Burkina Faso it is demonstrated how shifting political-institutional conditions on the national scale have fostered the eruption of protests at various mining localities within the country. Theoretically, the analysis is based on a contentious politics perspective, notably the concept of political opportunity structures. It is demonstrated that and through which mechanisms the overthrow of the long-standing president Blaise Compaoré at the end of October 2014 enabled the protests on the local scale. Three mechanisms are revealed. The analysis is built on primary data gathered in field research conducted between 2015 and 2017, including 70 semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, observations and document analysis.