Senegal 2023 – DW, LifeGate, Afrique XXI, Nigrizia

A reportage produced along the Falémé River in the Kedougou region, which marks the border between Senegal and Mali

The borders in this region are porous with few controls. So many people of various nationalities enter and leave, attracted by one target: the gold rush in which the hills and rivers of this territory are very rich.

According to estimates, 90% of artisanal gold mined in Senegal is exported to Mali via informal channels.
These border territories have come under increasing security pressure. It’s a big melting pot where many illegal trades have grown. Communities have suffered a demographic explosion and often feel abandoned.

Informal gold digging somehow maintains a balance while industrial gold digging creates environmental damage by polluting rivers and deforestation.

In nearby Mali, attacks by violent extremist groups (which were initially confined to the north and center have gradually spread) including westwards towards Senegal.

Despite being in a region where terrorism is a serious threat, Senegal has not officially recorded a single terrorist attack. However for two years the country has experienced sporadic security incidents along its south-eastern border with Mali and, according to studies, it is very likely that the terrorist network in the Sahel exploits the gold trade to fund itself.

How did #Senegal protect its borders from the advance of terrorism in the Sahel? What are the weaknesses and threats?

The first part of the project “Borders with dark sides: shields against terrorism in Senegal and Mauritania”