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January 30, 2006
Gold mining in Burkina Faso
It seems everyone is discovering gold in Burkina Faso these days: SEMAFO have upped their estimate of the gold in their Mana site by 62% from 542 000 ounces to 877,200. Gold Rush and High River are likewise anticipating further riches from Burkina gold. And Orezone, the company now running the Essakane mine near Gorom-Gorom, have also found more gold than expected at some of their sites. Unless I am mistaken, all these companies are Canadian.
Gold mines - a blessing for who?
While some rich people are doubtless set to increase their fortunes, I wonder what the impact will be for Burkina and for the local people? Potentially it could benefit the country enormously, but of course it is not always the case. Mining has been a controversial subject in Burkina Faso and elsewhere in Africa. Events in Ghana, South Africa, Namibia, Sierra Leone, and other places have highlighted common problems in mining, inlcuding impact on local populations and the environment, poorly treated workforces, corruption, and how the profits of the mine do not always benefit the local people or area.
The manganese mine in Tambao, north of Gorom-Gorom has good quality ore and huge potential, but the project has been on and off for years - currently off, I believe. We heard many stories, and as the project was running, we saw workers shipped in from the capital, and trucks shipping the mountain back down south bith by bit. Some locals were profiting from providing services, but then the work stopped and the trucks disappeared. I have guesses, but no real idea why.
Gold mining by hand
Gold in Burkina was until recently largely mined by hand. Essakane, close to where I lived for many years, was a source of hope for hundreds of families. When gold was found there, a small gold town grew up, with all the accompanying problems of sickness, crime, prostitution (and therefore AIDS of course) etc. Men would hand-dig tunnels many meters deep and long, working ridiculous hours, sustained often by amphetamines and kola nuts more than food. Sometimes the tunnels would collapse, killing the men inside.
It was a desolate place, a moonscape, yet for many famlies in the least developed part of the third poorest country in the world, it offered some hope of a better life. Once the harvest was in, people would leave their villages to try their luck at the gold mines. Unfortunately of course, it rarely worked out that way, and there were stories of some who both made and lost their fortune there. For most it was scraping an existence from the ground.
Gold mining and ethics
Now Essakane is being run by Orezone. As I understand it, those digging by hand had to leave, and the site is being run exclusively by the company. Now, part of me is not sad to see the appalling conditions of the manual gold hunters come to an end. And yet, it was one option among very few for people in this region. I would be sorry if hope was once again snatched from them with nothing to replace it. Orezone of course has its business to run, but I hope that their investment into the development of the region is more than a nominal gift of a well or food aid now and again. People's lives have been affected by the company's arrival, and it should not be that the result is that a few benefit while the vast majority of the poorest and most vulnerable are left once more with no options.
A meeting in Toronto in 2002 aimed to develop an ethical code for mining looking at many of these issues. I only hope that an ethical framework is in place that will enable both local people and the country of Burkina Faso to benefit fully from the much-needed riches discovered in her soil.
Tags: burkina faso africa gold burkina gorom-gorom mining manganese poverty
January 29, 2006
Combating elephantiasis in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso has been engaged recently in a concerted campaign to combat elephantiasis in the country.
The disease causes disfigurement of limbs and can affect genitals and breasts as well. Such disfigurement can not only rob people of the ability to work, but result in stigmatisation, social rejection and psychological trauma. Apparently about 1 million are affected in some way in Burkina.
15 000 health workers and volunteers have been distributing free medicines and spreading information and awareness about the disease, helped by free medicines provided by GlaxoSmithKline and Merck, and 200 million CFA francs (US $368,000) from the Burkina government.
Tags: burkina faso africa elephantiasis burkina health
January 28, 2006
Border tension in Burkina Faso
Following ongoing tensions between Burkina Faso and neighbours Cote d'Ivoire over the civil war there, there is now also a cross-border situation with Benin.
Cote d'Ivoire
In Cote d'Ivoire, the Burkinabe government and people have often been accused of siding with the northern rebels, an accusation denied by the Burkinabe government. They claim that the Burkinabe are being used as scapegoats for the problems there. Recently several Burkinabe were arrested and killed after attacks on a military camp in Abidjan, the capital of Cote d'Ivoire. But the press, quoting residents, claimed some of those arrested turned out to be gardeners, carpenters or security guards who were near the camp at the time of the attack. Cote d'Ivoire has been split in two for several years during this civil war, and the UN has called for sanctions against the Ivoirian government for blocking the peace process.
Benin
In Benin, it seems that, at least at this stage, the conflict is a relatively minor affair. Apparently, the Bariba people of Benin and the Mossi of Burkina Faso have clashed in recent years, accusing each other of land incursion. This week, Benin's top military officer accused Burkina Faso of launching an armed incursion into the Benin side of the area. The accusation was denied by Clement Sawadogo, the Burkinabe territorial minister, saying: "I categorically deny that there was any troop movement toward the border with Benin."
Please pray for peace and righteousness in Burkina. Thank you.
Tags: burkina faso africa benin burkina conflict cote d'ivoire
January 07, 2006
Back to Burkina ! (but only for a visit)
I have just bought tickets for a trip back "home" to Burkina Faso for three weeks in February!
I discovered that the Libyan airline Afriqiyah has by far the cheapest flights - from Gatwick via Tripoli.
JOYS AND TRIALS
It will be great to go "home" again, to see Seydou and Monique and my Fulani friends in Gorom-Gorom, to eat nyiiri, and to find out how the Fulani Christians are making progress. At the same time, I know there will be some difficult situations - the year has not been easy, and there have been both encouragements and challenges:
* Survival. The food crisis at the start of the year that resulted from the loss of last year’s harvest has affected many. Along with many other agencies, we managed to distribute food aid, and the worst of the crisis was averted. The harvest this year has been good, but many are still suffering the longer-term effects of the crisis. Many lost animals, or had no seed to sow, or have debt that they took on to keep their families alive during the hardest time.
* Work. Seydou has still not found work, and he is struggling to provide for his family. Thankfully, someone has given a gift to help him out in the immediate crisis, but he really needs a job. When farming is so fragile, and there is little work around, many families suffer.
* Faith. The Fulani Christians seem to be persevering in their faith, in spite of difficulties. I heard recently that Yusuf paid 5000cfa (£5, or about 10 days wages) to travel 200 miles because he heard there was a conference for Christian Fulani there.
* National Debt and Trade. Nationally, Burkina Faso is one of the countries to benefit from the debt cancellation, agreed at the G8 in July. But there were few crumbs of comfort from the WTO trade meetings. More on that later...
* Radio Station. It seems our latest application for the radio station has been turned down again.
Please pray for me over these next months as I seek God about how I should be involved back in Burkina in the future. Pray also that this visit would be both beneficial in itself, but also help me see what my future role might be.
Thank you.
Tags: burkina faso africa fulani burkina gorom-gorom mission famine radio G8
