Global uncertainties drive Chinese rush to African goldfields, despite the risks

Chinese companies and miners in Africa are facing severe security threats from armed groups in search of gold, driven by soaring global prices for the precious metal.

Multiple attacks and kidnappings targeting gold miners have been reported from Ghana, the Central African Republic, Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent months.

In Mali – one of Africa’s top gold producers – the Chinese embassy has repeatedly warned its citizens against operating gold mines in the country because of the worsening security situation.

The embassy’s most recent advisory, issued in late July, ordered Chinese gold mining companies to “immediately halt operations and production” and for gold miners to “evacuate the mining areas”.

The warning followed a series of attacks and kidnappings targeting gold miners, especially Chinese nationals, against the backdrop of a security situation that has been deteriorating since Mali’s 2020 military coup d’état.

This included an incident in May, when two Chinese citizens were kidnapped and their heavy machinery burned at a gold mining site about 100km (62 miles) southwest of Mali’s capital Bamako.

South China Morning Post