At the spring meetings of the Bretton Woods institutions in Washington, the Ivorian Minister of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy, Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly , made an urgent appeal to the international community. Invited to the World Bank headquarters on April 16, 2026, he advocated for rigorous global regulation of the trade in mining chemicals to dry up the sources of illegal gold mining.

A global economic and environmental scourge

The assessment made by the minister before representatives of the G7, the World Gold Council, and major players in the extractive sector is alarming. While the price of gold is reaching historic highs, the artisanal sector is booming in more than 80 countries, often operating outside official channels.

1. In Africa: Approximately 435 tonnes of gold escape state control each year.
2. In Ivory Coast: Losses are estimated at 142 tonnes of gold , representing a colossal tax and economic shortfall of 4,600 billion FCFA .

Mercury and cyanide in the crosshairs

For the minister, the key to the fight lies in controlling the inputs. Despite local bans, mercury and cyanide still supply clandestine sites via smuggling networks.

"It is imperative to establish strict global regulation of these chemicals," stressed Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly, recalling the irreversible damage these substances cause to water, soil and public health.

The Ivorian offensive: a model on a local scale

Ivory Coast did not wait to act. The minister took advantage of this platform to highlight the results of the national strategy:

1. The dismantling of more than 7,000 illegal sites .
2. Strict application of the Mining Code .
3. The deployment of the National Gold Panning Rationalization Program .
4. Structured support for artisanal and small-scale farming (EMAPE).

Towards an international coalition

The minister stressed that isolated efforts are doomed to failure against such a "sprawling" network. He called for:

1. Enhanced coordination within ECOWAS and WAEMU to manage cross-border flows.
2. A concerted response between African producing countries and major transit and purchasing hubs (United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, India).
3. The direct involvement of the World Bank and financial institutions to structure a global regulatory framework.

In short, for Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly, the transparency of the gold supply chain cannot be guaranteed without a global political will to directly target the production tools of illegal gold miners.