An escalation of attacks across the Sahel is now affecting mining operations, with Canadian firm Semafo reporting casualties among its employees. At least 37 people were killed and dozens more wounded according to local authorities.
MEA Risk LLC reports that Quebec-based gold mining company Semafo acknowledged that a convoy of its employees was ambushed in on the road between Fada and the Boungou mine site in eastern Burkina Faso. The incident happened approximately 40 kilometers from the Boungou Mine.
The attack happened despite the five-bus convoy being escorted by the Burkina military personnel. Figures were not reported, but Semafo has experienced the third such incident, with the previous two attacks taking place in the area in summer of 2018.
Violence in the Sahel has experienced an exponential spike recently, mostly affecting Mali and northern Burkina Faso, despite pledges by the former colonial power, France, to crackdown on militant groups. An escalation of the conflict in the region is anticipated, as France is pressuring its European allies to send more troops.
