The government of the Central African Republic has shut down a gold mining site in the western part of the country after a collapse earlier this week killed more than 100 people. The decision was announced by the Minister of Mines and Geology, Ruffin Benam Beltoungou, who cited "non-compliance with mining standards and non-compliance with administrative directives" as the reasons for the closure. An investigation into the collapse is ongoing.
Several other people were injured in the collapse. This is the latest mining disaster in the mineral-rich nation, where a significant part of the population depends on small-scale mining for livelihood. Miners are exposed to high risks due to lack of protection, and weak regulation of the mines regularly leads to deadly outcomes.
Rescue efforts by local workers were hampered by a lack of expertise and equipment for the scale of the disaster. It is worth noting that the Zamboye site was already closed before the accident, but illegal miners continued to work there.
Quentin Ngbouando, leader of the civil society organization I Gwe, said the minister's decision was "obvious and quite natural," adding that the illegal miners were operating outside the legal framework.