Senegal has halted mining operations for almost three years along the southeastern Faleme river to safeguard the environment and aid local communities impacted by a surge in artisanal gold mining.
Mining activities, including dredging and chemical runoff, have polluted the Faleme, which originates in Guinea, runs along Senegal’s border with Mali, and eventually flows into the Senegal river.
Senegal has suspended mining within 500 meters of the Faleme River’s left bank until June 2027 to protect the environment, according to a decree issued Tuesday.
The Senegalese Press Agency reported a sharp rise in illegal mining sites along the Faleme, growing from 600 to over 800 since 2021.
Once a thriving habitat for fish and mammals like hippos and crucial for local agriculture, the river is now in urgent need of restoration, as detailed in a 2024 paper from the Journal of Water Resource and Protection.