Central Africa shuts gold mine after deadly collapse

The Central African Republic has temporarily suspended operations at a gold mine near the border with Cameroon following a landslide that killed at least 49 people, according to the country's mines minister. The death toll includes 34 Central Africans, 13 Cameroonians and two Chadians. Local sources reportedly indicate that around 100 individuals perished, with many still unaccounted for and possibly buried under the wreckage.

Seven survivors were transported to a hospital in the nearby town of Baboua, located approximately 50 kilometers away. The mine was shut down and access to the pit was restricted on Thursday. Security forces, including personnel from the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, were deployed to the region. Rescue operations were halted as the mine continued to crumble and recent heavy rains further inundated its lower levels.

Known locally as Moscow-RCA, the expansive open-pit mine sits adjacent to the Kadei River, which forms part of the border separating the two nations. The mines minister cited the incident as a stark reminder of the perils associated with informal mining operations, particularly those lacking adequate safety measures. However, civil society activist Crescent Beninga pointed out that such tragedies are unfortunately not uncommon.

He stated, "This is not the first time we've seen a mine collapse." A similar collapse at the Be-Mbari gold mine, also situated near the Cameroonian border, resulted in the deaths of numerous individuals in June. Beninga questioned the lack of action taken to prevent such incidents from recurring, remarking, "The question is: what have we done to stop this from happening again?

The answer is nothing." Footage of the accident, viewed by AFP, depicted sections of the mine's wall giving way and engulfing artisanal miners working below. The collapse of mines is a recurrent issue in the impoverished Central African Republic, where rich gold and mineral deposits are frequently exploited illegally with minimal oversight from the government.