Burkina Faso repatriates more than 8,000 citizens from Guinea after gold-mining ban

Burkina Faso has mobilized a convoy of hundreds of buses to repatriate more than 8,000 citizens affected by Guinea’s ban on artisanal gold mining in several northeastern areas. Organized overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, the convoy is also intended to assist Burkinabè nationals in Mali. A source at Burkina Faso’s Ministry of National Solidarity said four people had died, without providing details about the circumstances. A government delegation was expected to travel to Mali to assist citizens in distress, as Malian authorities reported a major influx of people at the Guinean border.