Junta-Led Burkina Faso Banks On Revived Gold Mines to Boost Output in 2025

Burkina Faso is set to boost its industrial gold production in 2025, driven by the ramp-up of Soleil Resources International Ltd.’s project in the country and the anticipated start of output from a new mine operated by Australia’s West African Resources Ltd.

Together, these developments will push Burkina Faso’s industrial gold output up by 4%, reaching 55.7 metric tons, according to Aristide Belemsobgo, Director General of Mines and Geology at the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries.

Soleil Resources returned the Youga mine in the south to production in October, Belemsobgo said. West African Resources’ Kiaka mine, situated in the southeast, is on schedule for first gold in the third quarter, he said, confirming an earlier update from the company.

Burkina Faso is Africa’s fourth-largest gold producer and has long relied on the precious metal to drive its economy. But the glitter hasn’t come easy, rising insecurity and armed violence have hit the mining sector hard, forcing several operations to halt production in recent years.

Since junta leader Ibrahim Traoré came to power following a 2022 coup, Burkina Faso has moved to assert greater control over its natural resources. The government has revised its mining code to enhance national oversight and participation in the sector.

These reforms are part of a broader push to increase state control over foreign-owned industrial mines and capture a larger revenue share from the country’s mineral wealth.

These moves have increasingly raised concerns among Western mining investors. In April, Canadian miner Fortuna Silver Mines exited Burkina Faso by selling its Yaramoko gold mine to a local private firm for $130 million, citing declining reserves and rising operational risks.

Fortuna’s departure follows similar exits by other companies, including Endeavour Mining, which pulled out of the country last year.

As part of a wider effort to reduce the Western influence, Burkina Faso—like its junta-led neighbours Mali and Niger, has been deepening ties with Russia, both for security support and economic cooperation.

In May, the military-led government granted an industrial mining license to Russian company Nordgold for a new gold project expected to produce 20.22 metric tons over eight years.

According to the Council of Ministers, the project will contribute approximately 51.5 billion CFA francs ($89 million) to the national budget and an additional 7.06 billion CFA francs to the country’s mineral wealth fund.