The 34th Infantry Battalion of Kédougou completed last Tuesday, « a commando mission » enabling it to dismantle at least ten clandestine sites of gold panning and exploitation of natural resources along the Falémé River, in the department of Saraya, we learned from its commander, Daouda Faye. Named « Thilal » (Sparrowhawk in the Pulaar language), this five-day operation was conducted along the Senegalese-Malian border.

The patrols engaged in this operation, for example, dismantled unauthorised industrial gold mining on the Falémé River, about fifteen kilometres from Nafadji, a village located in the commune of Madina Baffé, according to the commander of the 34th Infantry Battalion of Kedougou. « The objective of these operations is to fight against all forms of illicit activity along the border with Mali, but also and above all to seek intelligence to better prevent violent extremism in the region of Kédougou,” said Daouda Faye. The operators of this unauthorised site, of Chinese nationality, fled at the sight of the soldiers to take refuge in Malian territory, underlined the commander of the 34th Infantry Battalion of Kédougou. The Defence and Security Forces also dismantled during this operation 10 clandestine and semi-industrial gold panning sites.

They seized equipment consisting of 65 generators of different types, 43 pneumatic drills, 12 solar panels, 3 magnetic gold detectors, 6 motor pumps, 1 semi-industrial operating platform containing various equipment and more than a hundred dredges, according to Commander Faye. This type of operation is expected to continue in this area, in order to « clean up all this part of the south-east of the country infested with clandestine sites for the exploitation of natural resources which threaten the security of the Kédougou region », he assured.