The small town of Brou-Akpaoussou, located in the sub-prefecture of Andé (Moronou region), is plunged into shock and outrage. On the afternoon of Wednesday, June 3, 2026, a young illegal gold miner of Burkinabè nationality was the victim of a brutal murder. His killer decapitated him before fleeing with his head.

A tragic return motivated by family duty

The victim, in his twenties, worked at illegal mining sites in the region. Having recently returned from a trip to Burkina Faso, the young man had come back to Ivory Coast with a specific goal: to quickly raise the funds needed to finance his sick father's surgery.

To do this, he had brought along a compatriot who had recently arrived to assist him in his tasks.

A fatal encounter in the middle of the bush

The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday, June 3rd, late in the day. After working at their usual site, the two men set out to find a new vein to exploit the following day. On their way, they encountered an individual armed with a machete. Thinking they were dealing with a simple farmer returning from his fields, they continued on their way, unsuspecting. A tragic misjudgment.

Walking just a few meters away, the victim's companion was suddenly alerted by cries for help. Turning around, he discovered with horror the stranger violently attacking his friend with a machete. Panicked, the witness fled at full speed towards the village to raise the alarm.

A macabre discovery

Due to nightfall and the prevailing insecurity, rescue efforts could not be organized immediately. It was only the following morning, Thursday, June 4, that a group of villagers, led by the survivor, went to the scene of the attack.

At the scene, horror reigned: the young man's lifeless body lay decapitated in the bush. The murderer had taken his victim's head, making the scene particularly macabre and mysterious.

Investigation opened and strong emotions

In the pouring rain, the body was transported to the morgue in Bongouanou for the purposes of forensic medicine.

Situation update: The national gendarmerie has taken over the case. The main witness was interviewed in Bongouanou to help investigators build a profile of the killer.

For now, the identity of the attacker and the motives for this atrocious act remain completely unknown. This tragedy has reignited the debate on the growing insecurity linked to the development of illegal gold mining in the Moronou region.