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The drawbacks of privatization: Artisanal gold mining in Burkina Faso 1986–2016

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  • Werthmann, Katja

Abstract

The West African country of Burkina Faso has become a leading African producer of gold in recent years. While this is mainly due to a boom in industrial gold mining since 2008, artisanal gold mining has been practiced throughout the country since the 1980s and continues to be an important source of livelihood for an estimated 1,2 Mio people (of a total population of c. 17 Mio). Private gold buying companies who were well-connected with the Compaoré government (1987–2014) profited from the privatization of the artisanal gold mining sector since the mid-1990s. This led to a situation where some Burkinabè businessmen made their own laws in gold mining areas, smuggled most of the gold out of the country and provoked violent conflicts with gold miners and local populations. This paper gives an overview of the institutional changes that have shaped artisanal gold mining in Burkina Faso from the mid-1980s until today.

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  • Werthmann, Katja, 2017. "The drawbacks of privatization: Artisanal gold mining in Burkina Faso 1986–2016," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 418-426.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:52:y:2017:i:c:p:418-426
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2017.04.007
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    1. Jeroen Cuvelier, 2014. "Work and Masculinity in Katanga’s Artisanal Mines," Africa Spectrum, Institute of African Affairs, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, vol. 49(2), pages 3-26.
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    4. Werthmann, Katja, 2009. "Working in a boom-town: Female perspectives on gold-mining in Burkina Faso," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1-2), pages 18-23.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Pokorny, Benno & von Lübke, Christian & Dayamba, Sidzabda Djibril & Dickow, Helga, 2019. "All the gold for nothing? Impacts of mining on rural livelihoods in Northern Burkina Faso," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 23-39.
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    4. Brugger, Fritz & Zongo, Tongnoma & Proksik, Joschka J. & Bugmann, Anna, 2024. "Unravelling the nexus of illicit gold trade, protection rackets, and political settlement dynamics: Evidence from Burkina Faso," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    5. Alexandra Tebkieta Tapsoba & Jean-Louis Combes & Pascale Combes Motel, 2023. "Does youth resentment matter in understanding the surge of extremist violence in Burkina Faso?," Working Papers hal-02895898, HAL.
    6. Grant, J. Andrew & Wilhelm, Cindy, 2022. "A flash in the pan? Agential constructivist perspectives on local content, governance, and the large-scale mining–artisanal and small-scale mining interface in West Africa," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    7. Lala Safiatou Ouedraogo & Patrick Mundler, 2019. "Local Governance and Labor Organizations on Artisanal Gold Mining Sites in Burkina Faso," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-21, January.
    8. Drechsel, Franza & Engels, Bettina & Schäfer, Mirka, 2019. ""The mines make us poor": Large-scale mining in Burkina Faso," GLOCON Country Report Series 2, Freie Universität Berlin, Junior Research Group "Global Change – Local Conflicts?" (GLOCON).

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