Photos: Senegal’s gold rush brings hope and despair

Mohamed Bayoh climbed into the deep, pitch-black gap, hoping to emerge with a nugget that may change his life.

The 26-year-old Guinean is one in every of hundreds of individuals from throughout West Africa who’ve arrived in distant jap Senegal looking for gold.

The frenzy for the valuable metallic has dramatically remodeled Bantakokouta, a city on the borders of Mali and Guinea.

20 years in the past, the locals numbered only a few dozen. Now, there are a number of thousand on the again of a floating inhabitants of dream seekers and threat takers with gold of their eyes.

Over time, their ant-like labour has left the panorama wanting like Swiss cheese.

So far as the attention can see, by way of the pervasive dusty mist, small huddled teams shielded from the solar by makeshift department shelters haul up spoil scratched from the bottom.

“Working right here is like taking part in the lottery – you’re by no means certain of successful,” sighed Bayoh, who stated was clear in his goal: To “discover numerous gold,” he stated.

“Not somewhat … so much. To start out one other life in Guinea.”

After six months’ gruelling work, he had earned sufficient to purchase two motorbikes.

One gramme (0.03 of an oz) of gold – roughly equal to 60 grains of rice – brings in 30,000 Central African francs (CFA francs), or about $48.

However the dangers dealing with miners are many, from landslides, cuts and deadly falls to the usage of medication to boring aches and pains, stated Diba Keita, head of a neighborhood vigilance committee.

The city itself bears the indicators of poverty and transience.

Its alleys are plagued by garbage, and goats and sheep roam untended. The overwhelming majority of the huts are rudimentary constructions, manufactured from bamboo and brushwood.

In his workshop, Souleymane Segda, a 20-year-old from Burkina Faso, put crushed items of promising-looking ore by way of a grinder.

The equipment takes up most of his room, which has no rest room and doubles as his bed room.

The younger man is roofed in dust as he sifts by way of the mud looking for flecks of gold.

The flakes are recovered after washing the mud with mercury – a apply that’s banned due to its well being and environmental dangers, however which stays widespread.

“I can earn as much as 50,000 CFA francs ($82) a day. I’m going again dwelling as a lot as I can and once I’ll have earned sufficient, I’ll depart for good,” he stated.

Bantakokouta has skilled a surge of actions typical of gold rushes all over the world – an inflow of shops promoting instruments and digital items, locations of worship, a medical publish, nightclubs and video gaming rooms, in addition to crime and vice.

“The gold has introduced wealth. Up to now, we used to go to Mako,” stated Waly Keita, 63, referring to a city 20km (12 miles) away.

He recalled with nostalgia the time when “our mums” used to dig within the river mattress, looking for nuggets, whereas the lads went into the bush to hunt and acquire honey.

However the gold rush has additionally introduced issues, together with “banditry” and “battle”, he stated.

The Senegalese and foreigners typically hit it off in Bantakokouta, though flare-ups do happen.

In 2020, clashes between safety forces and Guinean miners resulted within the demise of two younger males.

“Prostitution has grow to be a serious downside,” stated Aliou Bakhoum, head of an NGO referred to as La Lumiere (The Gentle) within the regional capital, Kedougou.

“Younger girls, primarily from Nigeria and sometimes underage, fall sufferer to extremely organised trafficking.”

He stated his affiliation had taken in about 40 ladies, some as younger as 15, and was serving to them to return dwelling.

The trafficking has prompted the state to beef up vigilance and make investments closely in safety and intelligence, a senior administrative official who wished to stay nameless stated.

The authorities have additionally intensified operations to safe the border with Mali, fearing a violence spillover from its deeply troubled neighbour.

The Kedougou area of southeastern Senegal suffers from greater than 25 p.c unemployment, a poverty fee of greater than 70 p.c and a worrying faculty drop-out fee.

As dwelling circumstances fall, many younger persons are tempted to strive their luck within the mines.

However many emerge disenchanted, and keen to resort to absolutely anything.