Burkina Faso: Ibrahim Traoré Creates Faso SANU to Reorganize Artisanal Gold Mining

At a cabinet meeting on November 5, 2026, chaired by Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso’s government adopted three decrees on artisanal gold mining, including the creation of the state-owned company Faso SANU. Owned equally by SONASP and the public Treasury, the company is intended to help the state organize the sector and implement the reorganization of illegal, disputed, or strategically important mining sites. The measure follows the 2024 suspension of exports of artisanal and semi-mechanized gold and aligns with the 2024 Mining Code. Energy and Mines Minister Yacouba Gouba also warned that employing children at mining sites would be punished under the law.