Illicit Financial Flows and Conflict in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining: Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger

The report analyzes how the 2012 gold rush in the Sahel region coincided with rising religious extremism and organized crime, leading to areas beyond government control in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. It focuses on governance frameworks, illicit financial flows, and the links between mining and conflict to help governments restore stability and increase tax revenues.

• The discovery of gold in the Sahel region in 2012 occurred simultaneously with an increase in crime, conflict, and religious extremism, specifically affecting Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
• Organized crime, terrorism, and armed violence have worsened governance issues, resulting in the expansion of territories at the borders of the three countries that are no longer under government control.
• Artisanal and small-scale mining is a critical economic driver in West Africa, supporting millions of livelihoods and contributing significantly to mineral production, with the potential to advance sustainable development goals if properly governed.

APA

MacDonald,, C. N. ,. C. G. O. B. J. G. (2022). Illicit Financial Flows and Conflict in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining: Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/illicit-financial-flows-conflict-artisanal-small-scale-gold-mining

Chicago

MacDonald,, Clémence Naré ,Alec Crawford,Victoria Gronwald,Olle Ostensson,Jara Bakx,Angela Jorns,Holger Grundel,Abigail. Illicit Financial Flows and Conflict in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining: Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/illicit-financial-flows-conflict-artisanal-small-scale-gold-mining.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=MacDonald, |first1=Clémence Naré ,Alec Crawford,Victoria Gronwald,Olle Ostensson,Jara Bakx,Angela Jorns,Holger Grundel,Abigail |title=Illicit Financial Flows and Conflict in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining: Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=13 September 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/illicit-financial-flows-conflict-artisanal-small-scale-gold-mining |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{macdonald2022illicit, author = {MacDonald,, Clémence Naré ,Alec Crawford,Victoria Gronwald,Olle Ostensson,Jara Bakx,Angela Jorns,Holger Grundel,Abigail}, title = {{Illicit Financial Flows and Conflict in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining: Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/illicit-financial-flows-conflict-artisanal-small-scale-gold-mining}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }