Senegal gendarmes destroy dozens of illegal gold mining machines

Senegalese gendarmes destroyed 53 machines used for illegal gold mining in the Saraya department in southeastern Senegal on November 10, 2026.

Two separate operations targeted different sites to enforce a mining ban that remains in effect until June 2027. A detachment of the Rapid Action Group for Surveillance and Intervention neutralized 32 dredges used to extract gold from the Falémé riverbed in the Missirah Sirimana commune.

Simultaneously, a territorial brigade destroyed 21 extraction machines and burned 29 makeshift shelters between Bembou and Séguékho. The authorities also seized various vehicles, generators, and tools during these raids. The government enacted a decree in July 2024 to suspend all mining operations and the issuance of new titles within 500 meters of the river's left bank. This measure aims to protect the environment, the health of local residents, and the border with Mali.

While security forces continue to dismantle illegal sites, the ministries of Mines and Armed Forces signed a protocol on November 3 to organize and secure 35 legal artisanal mining corridors, including seven pilot sites.