Illegal Gold Mining and Gold Traceability: Minister Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly Equips Mining Authorities with 30 Surveillance Drones

Abidjan, July 16, 2025 – As part of efforts to strengthen the fight against illegal gold mining, the Minister of Mines, Petroleum and Energy, Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly, presided over an official ceremony on Friday, July 11, 2025, in Yamoussoukro, marking the handover of 30 state-of-the-art surveillance drones to the regional and departmental directorates of Mines and Geology.

The drones delivered, particularly the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise, are equipped with a high-definition camera featuring a 4/3 CMOS sensor, a 56x hybrid zoom, a high-precision RTK geolocation system, flight autonomy of up to 45 minutes, and a long-range transmission system (8 km) with advanced obstacle avoidance features for maximum safety.

These tools will allow continuous monitoring of mining sites, even in hard-to-reach areas. They will help detect illegal mining activities, provide real-time mapping of mining zones, monitor extracted volumes, and optimize the planning of field interventions.
"These drones will be a game-changer in our daily operations," said Kouadio Kouamé Parfait, Regional Director of Mines in Soubré and spokesperson for the regional and departmental directorates.

Minister Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly praised the support of partners and reaffirmed the Ivorian State's commitment to go further. He announced that the project would be gradually expanded to cover the entire national territory and possibly extend to the sub-regional level.

The minister also denounced the criminal networks involved in illegal gold mining. In line with ongoing reforms, advanced discussions are underway with refineries accredited by the World Gold Council, aiming to structure a national gold collection chain that complies with international gold traceability standards, transparency, and environmental protection.

With new mining discoveries and a strengthened governance framework, Côte d'Ivoire aspires to become Africa’s leading gold producer within the next decade. This strategy is built on three pillars:

• Technological integration
• Environmental responsibility
• Fair resource valorization to benefit local populations