The drawbacks of privatization: Artisanal gold mining in Burkina Faso 1986–2016

Abstract

The West African country of Burkina Faso has become a leading African producer of gold in recent years. While this is mainly due to a boom in industrial gold mining since 2008, artisanal gold mining has been practiced throughout the country since the 1980s and continues to be an important source of livelihood for an estimated 1,2 Mio people (of a total population of c. 17 Mio). Private gold buying companies who were well-connected with the Compaoré government (1987–2014) profited from the privatization of the artisanal gold mining sector since the mid-1990s. This led to a situation where some Burkinabè businessmen made their own laws in gold mining areas, smuggled most of the gold out of the country and provoked violent conflicts with gold miners and local populations. This paper gives an overview of the institutional changes that have shaped artisanal gold mining in Burkina Faso from the mid-1980s until today.