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Eastern Senegal is experiencing a gold rush,
following the discovery of large deposits of the precious metal. Several
major international companies have ventured into the West African
nation, while informal miners have also flocked to the area.
In Diabougou, one of the biggest informal sites in the area, anyone can
come and dig a mine shaft, called a "dama" in the local Malinke
language. The gold rush has transformed Diabougou into a small town.
Thousands of the miners are from neighbouring Mali, a country with a
long history of gold extraction. When they heard about the new informal
site, they crossed the border to try their luck.
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Some shafts can be 20 or 30 metres deep, and sometimes they collapse.
“It’s a risky job. People can get injured or die," says 20-year-old
Senegalese miner Sidi Macalou (in the foreground). The closest medical
facility is in Sadatou, a village 40km (25 miles) away.
Fatoumata Keita is 12. She came from Mali with her older sister and her
grandmother. Her grandmother cooks meals for the diggers, and
Fatoumata’s job is to pull the rope to bring the stones to the surface.
“They are very heavy,” she says. She is looking forward to going back to
school at the end of the summer break.
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Mamadou Diallo has helped dig several mine shafts but here, he is
washing the crushed stones he has brought back to the surface. He uses
water, soap and mercury to treat the gold, and then heats it up so it
gets its golden hue.
After the rocks are crushed, washed and tested by expert miners, those
that contain gold are put into bags and shared. In 10 days, four diggers
brought up nine bags from their "dama." The diggers, who take the
biggest risks, are not those who get the biggest share.
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"The chief of the village gets his share, as does the imam, and the
person who discovered the gold vein. The security guards from the
village also get their part… All the main people in the village get
something. That is why they are rich here. It’s thanks to us," a Malian
miner said.
The village chief has set some strict rules. Mining work finishes at
17:00, and Friday is the day off in this Muslim area. After 18:00,
motorcycles are not allowed to drive in the slum area where the miners
live - now far bigger than the original village. Some 20 villagers have
been named security guards to enforce the rules.
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The miners wash and treat the gold in the nearby river. As a result, its
waters are polluted and the sole source of clean water, a pump at the
entrance of the village, cannot provide enough liquid for the soaring
population. Listen to BBC World Service's African Perspective on
Saturday morning for more.
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