Tarkwa Mine’s Drone Patrols Catch Wildcat Miners
Afternoon sunlight beats down on Gold Fields’ vast Tarkwa mine in southwestern Ghana. Three guards launch drones into the clear sky. Its cameras scan the 210 km² tract for intruders. Within 20 minutes, the drone spots suspicious activity. A 15‑person team, including armed police, moves in. They find abandoned clothes, fresh trenches, basic tools and pools contaminated with mercury and cyanide. The site was used by wildcat miners working on the mine’s edges. These informal operations threaten both their own health and the company’s profits.
Local teams confiscate seven diesel‑powered water pumps and a “chanfan” device used for riverbed gold extraction. Gold prices have surged above US $3,300 per ounce, triggering a spike in informal mining. The unauthorised activity is escalating into violent face‑offs between artisanal diggers and major mining firms across West Africa .
“Because of the vegetation cover, if you don’t have eyes in the air, you won’t know something destructive is happening,” says Edwin Asare, head of protection services at Tarkwa. “It’s like you first get eyes in the sky, then put boots on the ground.”
Rising Conflicts Alongside the Gold Rush
Nearly 20 illicit miners have died in clashes since late 2024 at large mining sites including those owned by Newmont and AngloGold Ashanti in Ghana and Guinea, and Nordgold in Burkina Faso. In most cases, no corporate staff reported injuries, although some operations faced month‑long shutdowns, prompting firms to seek government or military protection .
A United Nations report from May estimates nearly 10 million people in sub‑Saharan Africa depend on unofficial mining. In West Africa, this informal sector supports 3–5 million people and contributes roughly 30% of regional gold output .
For many, such as 52‑year‑old Famanson Keita in Senegal’s Kedougou, artisanal mining offers an essential income. But their livelihoods shrink after corporate concessions promise jobs yet fall short. “Many of our young people are employed in low‑level, uncontracted jobs with little pay and no stability,” Keita says. “Small‑scale farming alone cannot sustain our families.”
Growth of Commercialised Illegal Mining
While local residents have long mined on concession margins, the illicit sector has become more professional. Foreign investment — including from Chinese sources — brings in dredges and digging rigs to forests and waterways .
Analyst Ulf Laessing of Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation says rising central bank gold buying and geopolitical tension may drive prices to US $5,000 per ounce. He warns this could fuel more confrontations .
Incidents include nine miners killed in January at AngloGold Ashanti’s Obuasi mine, hundreds invading its Siguiri mine in Guinea in February, and at least three shot at Newmont’s Ahafo mine in January .
In Mali’s Kayes region, an excavator operator at an illegal site in Kenieba says Chinese operators are expanding operations this year, although Reuters could not confirm their identity .
Smuggling, Ore Loss and Government Response
In Ghana, authorities have closed dozens of informal sites and arrested hundreds, including foreign nationals, especially those using forests and waterways. “Because of porous borders and weak regulations, the majority of their produce is smuggled,” says researcher Marc Ummel. Ghana lost over 229 metric tons of artisanal gold to smuggling between 2019 and 2023 .
Artisanal miners also tap ore bodies used by large‑scale operations, shortening the lifespan of official mines. “We’re seeing artisanal miners digging up to 100 metres and impacting the ore body of the big miners,” says Adama Soro, president of the West African Federation of Chambers of Mines .
Military, Drones and AI: A Tech‑Led Defence
Large companies now spend heavily on security. One CEO says his mine invests around US $500,000 annually on surveillance—including patrol drones—but incurs regular incursions anyway .
AngloGold Ashanti, Nordgold, Galiano Gold, B2Gold and Barrick Gold have all reported recent incursions .
Ghana’s mining firms are pressing for military presence at contested sites. Governments in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali are being asked to supply troops. CIO Ahmed Dasana Nantogmah said some sites have seen positive progress since talks in mid‑April .
Calls to make miners pay for deployments—about GHS 250,000 (US $18,116) per contingent per day—are under discussion .
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Minerals Commission is adopting tech first. It is building an AI‑powered control room to analyse data from 28 drones at illegal mining hotspots. The system can even remotely disable excavators outside authorised bounds .
“This is a fight we can win with technology if we allow full deployment,” says consultant Sylvester Akpah .