Guinea authorities arrest over 1,200 people for illegal gold mining

The Guinean government arrested 1,263 people for illegal gold mining in the Siguiri administrative region and transported them to Conakry for judicial proceedings.

The arrests followed a total ban on unregulated gold mining that took effect on November 2, 2026. The detainees include Guinean nationals as well as citizens from Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Niger, Ivory Coast, and Ghana.

Ministers Ibrahima Kalil Condé and Ahmed Mohamed Oury Diallo confirmed that police and gendarmerie officers are currently conducting auditions of the suspects before they face the courts. The government also took administrative action against local officials who allowed the illegal activity to persist. President Mamadi Doumbouya issued a decree removing 22 civil and military administrators from the Siguiri region, including an interim governor, four prefects, and 17 sub-prefects.

Additionally, the minister of Territory Administration and Decentralization dismissed 479 district and neighborhood presidents. Authorities stated that these operations will continue in Mandiana, Kérouané, and Kouroussa, as well as other areas with illegal mining. The ministry of Foreign Affairs and African Integration also briefed foreign diplomatic missions on the situation on November 5, 2026. The government maintains that all individuals will be treated with dignity while they face legal consequences.