Africa: Ecocide in Venezuela - Oil, Mining and the Risks of Foreign Investment
Western oil and mining firms are re‑entering Venezuela after U.S. sanctions licences, but satellite data shows a surge in oil spills, toxic flaring and deforestation. In Lake Maracaibo alone, 504 slicks covering 10,428 km² have been identified, while the Orinoco Belt’s flare zone is heating land five degrees above normal. Illegal gold mining in Bolívar and Amazonas is driving forest loss and mercury poisoning. The lack of environmental reporting—Venezuela has not signed the Escazú Agreement—means investors rely on remote monitoring to gauge damage.
Liberia: Bea Mountain CEO Announces Expansion Will Provide Over 2,000 Employment Opportunities for Liberians
Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC) announced a major expansion that will double its gold processing capacity from four to eight million tons per year. The project is projected to raise the workforce from 9,000 to over 11,000, adding more than...
Nigeria: Govt, NCDC Move to Boost North Central Mining, Create Jobs
The Nigerian federal government and the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) have formalized a partnership to accelerate mining and mineral processing in the North Central region. Over 300 artisanal miners have been organized into cooperatives while more than 300 illegal...
Namibia: Namdeb, NAMITVEST, MUN Drive Mining Investment
Namdeb, NAMITVEST Investment Holdings and the Mineworkers Union of Namibia have signed a payroll deduction agreement that lets mineworkers automatically invest in NAMITVEST products. The scheme, owned 25% by union members and their descendants, currently serves about 2,600 shareholders and...
Nigeria: When There Is No Playbook - Building Community Relations in Nigeria's First Legal Large-Scale Gold Mine
Segilola Resources Operating Limited launched Nigeria’s first legally recognised large‑scale gold mine in Osun State and had to invent a community‑relations framework from scratch. The company openly acknowledged the oil‑and‑gas legacy of mistrust, integrated traditional Yoruba rulers into operational decisions,...
Africa: Governments Push for Increased Local Control of Africa's Gold
Gold Fields' Damang mine in Ghana will be taken over by the government on 18 April after the lease was not renewed, and the tender will be limited to companies wholly owned by Ghanaian citizens. The move reflects a wider African...
Liberia: Putu Is Not Just a Mine. It Is a Test.
Liberia is fast‑tracking the Putu iron‑ore project with a locally led consortium, touting government equity and value‑addition promises. Past mining deals have delivered revenue without broad economic transformation, prompting scrutiny of the new agreement’s ownership terms. The project is framed...
Liberia: Government Sends Mining Team to Nimba County to Investigate Reported Gold Discovery
Liberia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy has deployed a team of engineers and geologists to Tappita in Nimba County to investigate circulating reports of a gold rush. Led by Assistant Minister Emmanuel Vaye, the mission will verify the existence of...
Angola: Govt Strengthens Measures to Combat Vandalism and Illegal Mining
Angola's executive branch is accelerating a new anti‑vandalism law after the previous statute was struck down, and has already closed more than 1,600 weighing stations that were linked to property damage. The proposal, approved by the Council of Ministers, targets...
Liberia: How Many Shocks Before We Build Our Own Strength?
Liberia’s economy is repeatedly jolted by external shocks—from wars to pandemics to soaring oil prices—because it imports nearly all its petroleum and relies heavily on raw‑material exports. The editorial argues that explaining these price spikes is insufficient; the country needs...
Zimbabwe: Botha Mine's Appeal Bid Questioned As Court-Ordered Inspection Goes Ahead
Zimbabwe’s Bindura Magistrates Court ordered an environmental site inspection at Botha Mine, while the company filed a last‑minute appeal to the High Court in Bulawayo. EMA invited all stakeholders to the verification on 2 April, but Botha Mine’s appeal is deemed...
Kenya: Artisanal Miners in Western Kenya Move Away From Mercury
Artisanal gold miners in western Kenya are transitioning away from mercury after a decade of toxic use that contaminated water sources across the Lake Victoria basin. The UN‑backed planetGOLD programme, funded by a $4.24 million GEF grant, is training miners, formalising...
Tanzania: Tanzania Trumpets Its Favourable Climate, Stable Policies to Lure Mining Investors
Tanzania's Ministry of Minerals announced a stable policy environment to attract mining investors, meeting with China's Liaoning Fangda Group. The government highlighted its commitment to using mineral resources for economic growth and industrial development. Fangda expressed interest in strategic projects...
South Africa: North West Raises Alarm Over Illegal Mining, Chrome Wash Plants
The North West Provincial Legislature’s Economic Development Committee warned that illegal chrome wash plants and unregulated mining are proliferating in Bojanala and Madibeng. In the 2025/26 fiscal year, inspectors found 30 of 70 wash plants operating without environmental authorisation, and...
Zimbabwe: Chinese Mining Firm Launches Tree Planting Drive Amid Environmental Concerns
Chinese-owned Ming Chang Sino‑Africa launched a tree‑planting drive in Shamva on the International Day of Forests, partnering with Mingchang Primary School and the Earth Co‑Existence Initiative. The program is presented as a concrete ESG effort to restore degraded land and...
Liberia: Liberia Losing Millions in Mining Revenue As $2.7b Trade Gap Raises Smuggling Fears - Report
A new assessment commissioned by Forest Trends finds a $2.7 billion discrepancy between Liberia's reported mining exports and global import data, indicating massive revenue leakage. Mining firms reported $844 million in payments, while import records show $7.8 billion in Liberian minerals, suggesting smuggling,...
Angola: Authorities Arrest 15 Citizens for Alleged Illegal Gold Mining
Angolan police arrested 15 citizens in Ndalatando for suspected illegal gold mining, seizing 38 g of gold, a weighing scale, food supplies, and a Toyota Land Cruiser valued at roughly $500. The operation targeted the Golungo Alto municipality in Cuanza‑Norte, a...
Liberia: Workers Resign Amid Alleged HR Abuses At Bea Mountain Mining
Multiple employees at Bea Mountain Mining Corporation resigned, accusing the firm’s human‑resource officer of unprofessional conduct and a hostile workplace. The complaints also allege mishandling of documentation for foreign staff, raising concerns about compliance with Liberia’s labor and immigration rules....
Mali: Mali Delivers 33 Million Dollars of Mining Revenue to Local Communities
Mali's government transferred $33 million of mining revenue to communities through the Local Mining Development Fund on March 12. The distribution follows the August 2023 Mining Code, which imposes a mandatory 10 % state stake and higher royalties while still permitting 60‑85 % foreign ownership....
Tanzania: Tanzania Seals Strategic Minerals Deal
Tanzania has signed a suite of agreements with US‑owned Panda Hill Tanzania Limited to develop a niobium mine, beneficiation plant and ferroniobium smelter in Mbeya. The project aims to produce about 100,000 tonnes of niobium annually, representing roughly 4% of...
Liberia: Liberian Diamond Sector Under Global Scrutiny
Liberia is hosting its first Kimberley Process compliance review since 2013, marking a pivotal test of reforms aimed at eliminating conflict diamonds. The government has introduced digital licensing, tighter export controls, and awareness campaigns, yet artisanal mining and cross‑border smuggling...
Malawi: Parliament Proposes Higher Mining Fees and Dollar Payments for Foreign Investors to Boost Malawi's Revenue and Forex
Malawi's Parliament has tabled a proposal to raise mining fees and require foreign investors to pay in US dollars, aiming to increase state revenue and alleviate chronic foreign‑exchange shortages. The minimum fee for local firms would jump from K10,000 (≈$10)...
Nigeria: Victor Nwokeji - Reward for Forging Nigeria's Path in Mining Through Zotmann
Victor Nwokeji was named Businessman of the Year at the Champion Newspaper Awards, highlighting his role in building Zotmann Mining Limited into a leading Nigerian solid‑minerals player. Since its 2014 inception, Zotmann grew from a technical service partner to an...
Nigeria: Rutten - Predictability, Efficient Process Key to Unlocking Minerals Economy
The newly renamed Critical Minerals Financing Corporation (CMFC) Plc, led by veteran Lamon Rutten, announced its strategy to fund the entire minerals value chain in Nigeria, from exploration to downstream trading. Rutten says the company will use secured, asset‑backed financing...
Africa: Alake Advocates Regional Hubs to Power Africa's Mining Industry
Nigerian Minister of Solid Minerals Dele Alake called for creation of regional energy hubs to boost Africa’s mining industrialisation at the Powering Africa Summit in Washington. He highlighted that over $2.6 bn of foreign direct investment has flowed into Nigeria’s mining...
Africa: 'At Africa's First Our Ocean Conference, a Test of Global Will On High Seas Protection and Deep-Sea Mining'
The 11th Our Ocean Conference convenes in Mombasa and Kilifi, Kenya from June 16‑18, 2026, marking the first time the summit is hosted on African soil. Delegates will grapple with the newly effective High‑Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement) and its implications...
Liberia: Bong County - Lawmakers Suspend Hurine Mining Operations for License Violations
Lawmakers in Liberia’s House Committee on Land, Mines, and Energy ordered an immediate suspension of Hurine Mining Company’s operations in Bong County after confirming the firm exceeded the limits of its Class B mining license. The action follows a complaint by...
Zimbabwe: Rio Zim Challenges Cancellation of 40-Year Mining Grant
Mining giant Rio Zim has filed a High Court suit challenging the Ministry of Mines’ August 2025 cancellation of Special Grant No. 849 for the Sengwa coal fields. Rio Zim, which has spent over $5 million on exploration and feasibility studies, argues...
Liberia: Bea Mountain Mining Corporation Responds to Epa Statement On Marvoe Creek Incident
Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC) responded to a recent EPA statement linking a fish‑mortality incident at Marvoe Creek to its operations. BMMC highlighted that it had originally detected and reported the incident on 24 February and that EPA’s earlier analysis found...
Zimbabwe: Court Halts Mining On Ariston Estate, Declares Claims Illegal in Landmark Environmental Ruling
Zimbabwe's High Court has nullified two mining certificates on Ariston Holdings' Kent Estate, declaring them illegal. Justice Philda Muzofa ruled the certificates were issued before the syndicate obtained a mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment Certificate, making them void. The court ordered...
Southern Africa: SADC and Unodc Convene Regional Workshop to Tackle Mineral Crimes
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) convened a regional workshop in Gaborone to address rising mineral crimes targeting the bloc's critical mineral deposits. Law‑enforcement, regulatory agencies, and international partners, including...
Uganda: Copper Is the New Oil, but Will Uganda Be Norway or Nigeria?
Global demand for copper and other transition metals is set to triple by 2030, prompting a scramble for new sources. Uganda’s dormant Kilembe copper mine and newly identified mineral belts could supply millions of tonnes of copper and rare‑earth elements....
Ghana: Chairman Wontumi Ordered to Open Defence in Illegal Mining Trial
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of Ghana’s New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, was ordered by the Accra High Court to open his defence in a criminal trial over alleged illegal mining on his Samreboi concession. The court dismissed his no‑case‑to‑answer motion,...
Malawi: Kenani's Question Sparks Fierce Debate Over Malawi's Mineral Future
Social media activist Onjezani Kenani has sparked a national debate in Malawi by questioning who truly benefits from the Kasiya Rutile‑Graphite Project, one of the country’s largest mineral discoveries. The project’s development hinges on $665 million in foreign capital, with Australian‑listed...
Tanzania: Mining Reforms Yield 5.8tri/-
Tanzania's mining reforms are bearing fruit as expanded local refineries have added roughly 5.8 trillion shillings in mineral value. The policy that mandates domestic processing generated 273 jobs, most of them for young people, and spurred 3.8 trillion shillings of procurement from...
Ghana: Parliament Passes Bills On University Charters, Mining Levy Reduction
Ghana’s Parliament approved two bills on Friday: the Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill 2025, which makes the six‑year charter requirement optional for private tertiary institutions, and the Growth and Sustainability (Amendment) Bill 2026, which cuts the mining levy from three...
Liberia: Koijee Accuses Minister Nyumalin of Illegal Mining Role in Liberia-Guinea Border Tension
Opposition leader Jefferson Tamba Koijee accused Liberia's Minister of Local Government Francis Sakila Nyumalin of owning dredging equipment used in illegal mining along the Makona River, linking it to heightened border tensions with Guinea. Koijee claims the minister’s actions sparked...
Ghana: Absa Bank Provides Specialised Asset Financing to Support Indigenous Mining Contractor
Absa Bank Ghana has extended specialised asset financing to Engineers & Planners Company Limited for the purchase of an additional aircraft, enhancing the contractor's logistics across multiple African mining sites. The financing, initiated in 2024, follows a US$205 million syndicated facility...
Uganda: Stakeholders Raise Concerns Over Mining Licensing Delays, Mineral Royalty Gaps
Uganda’s mining sector is grappling with prolonged licensing delays and opaque royalty collection, prompting stakeholders at the Annual Tax Dialogue to warn of rising informal mining. Despite gold exports exceeding $5 billion annually, licensed operations remain scarce, contributing only 1.9% of...
Ghana: Rebalancing of Gold Reserve Not Loss of National Asset - Governor
Ghana’s central bank announced a rebalancing of its international reserves, converting a portion of its gold holdings into foreign exchange. The move follows a Domestic Gold Purchase Programme that lifted gold stocks from 8.7 tonnes to over 40 tonnes, with a 62%...
Ethiopia: PM Abiy Calls for Mapping Ethiopia's Natural Wealth After Nasiol Cave Visit
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed toured the Nasiol Cave in eastern Ethiopia and called for an urgent, scientific mapping of the nation’s natural and mineral wealth. He highlighted the cave’s striking marble‑like stalactites and the surrounding deposits of marble, granite, and...
South Africa: Government Reviews Appeals for Offshore Oil, Gas Exploration Projects
South Africa’s Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, announced that the government will move forward with determining appeals against offshore oil and gas exploration authorisations, ending a period of deferral. The appeals were filed under section 43 of...
Botswana: Illegal Sand Mining On the Rise in Ntlhantlhe
Kgosi Malepa Orekeng warned Ntlhantlhe residents that illegal sand miners, many armed, are increasingly operating trucks across the Molopye River. The village’s long‑standing rule limiting sand collection to manual, resident‑only methods has been ignored, prompting a surge in unregulated extraction....
South Africa: Action Demanded Over Nyanga Taxi Attacks - South African News Briefs - March 10, 2026
The Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) demanded surveillance cameras at Nyanga taxi rank after two minibuses were torched and multiple shootings occurred. Western Cape Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku supported the call and suggested drone monitoring to boost safety. President Cyril...
South Africa: Government Intensifies Crackdown On Illegal Mining
South Africa’s Deputy President Paul Mashatile announced an intensified, intelligence‑driven crackdown on illegal mining in Gauteng, including Operation Vala Umgodi and deployment of the National Defence Force alongside police and regulatory agencies. The government secured funding for a 12‑dimensional National Illicit...
Botswana: Mining Conference to Tackle Industrial Challenges
The Botswana Mining and Energy Conference and Expo (BME) will convene March 16‑17 in Gaborone, drawing roughly 1,200 senior executives from more than 30 countries. Organisers aim to align the event with the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme and the twelfth...
Africa: All of Africa Today - March 5, 2026
Across Africa, a deadly landslide at the Democratic Republic of Congo's Rubaya coltan mine killed over 200 people, raising concerns for the global tantalum supply chain. Sudan announced it is cholera‑free but faces rising dengue, malaria and measles cases, while...
Congo-Kinshasa: Over 200 Feared Dead in DR Congo Coltan Mine Landslide
A massive landslide at the Rubaya coltan mine in North Kivu, eastern DRC, has left more than 200 people dead, including around 70 children, according to the Ministry of Mines. Rebel leader Fanny Kaj of the M23 group disputed the...
Tanzania: Barrick, UDSM Build New Generation of Mining Professionals
Barrick Mining Corporation has launched a specialised capacity‑building programme at the University of Dar es Salaam to turn final‑year geology students into industry‑ready professionals. The curriculum blends academic theory with hands‑on field work, covering geothermal studies, petrology and advanced underground...
Ethiopia: Council of Ministers Refers External Loan Agreements to Parliament, Authorizes Mining License Deals
Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers has sent three external financing agreements to the House of Peoples’ Representatives for approval. The loans—USD 60.2 million from Korea Export‑Import Bank, €80 million from the French Development Agency, and SDR 184.1 million from the International Development Association—target electricity expansion, renewable...