« 70% of gold panners come from elsewhere and poison our waters and forests » Assahoré

Jacques Assahoré, the Minister of Water and Forests, stated that 70% of gold panners in Côte d'Ivoire are not Ivorian, posing a risk to national security. He condemned illegal gold mining as an environmental scourge, polluting waters with mercury and cyanide, and causing serious illnesses. Assahoré urged the public to be vigilant in reporting these activities and emphasized the importance of citizen collaboration to combat this phenomenon.