“I don’t understand why we can’t extract our gold ourselves and allow international companies to do that,” Traoré said in an interview with state television RTP today.
When asked about one of the gold mines in the country, Traoré responded, saying: “There are licenses that we are currently canceling (from foreign companies), and in the end we will explore for gold ourselves.”
He explained that the mine may be transferred to be under government control, without specifying which companies will have their licenses withdrawn from gold mining operations.
Last March, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Yakuba Juba, stated that Russian companies can be a strategic partner for his country in developing and strengthening the minerals sector, according to the memorandum of understanding concluded between the two countries. Noting that the Russian company “NordGold” is continuing its work in gold exploration in Ouagadougou, with security support from Burkinabé forces.
Regarding the possibility of Russian companies operating in light of the terrorist threat in Burkina Faso, Juba explained to RIA Novosti that “the Russian company NordGold is continuing its work (in gold exploration) in the country with security support from Burkinabé forces.”
He pointed out that the “NordGold” company, which has been operating for about 10 years in his country, is in the process of opening two gold exploration projects, as the Burkinabe government is waiting for the Russian company to “study the impact of the mine on the environment and on the residents of the region, after which it will submit an application to obtain a large-scale industrial mining permit.” “.
Juba noted that the government is protecting the mines by establishing military units or bases inside the mines, in addition to preventive air surveillance operations to take pre-emptive measures when necessary, “and this is what enabled some mines to continue their work despite their presence in areas without security.”
Juba issued an invitation to Russian investors, saying: “Burkina Faso is open to all Russian companies that wish to invest in the field of gold exploration and various other minerals such as zinc, manganese, copper, graphite, and lithium.”
He added that “Ross Geology’s experience may be useful in determining what minerals we have and establishing new projects in this sector… as well as in the field of searching for underground drinking water sources, as we still suffer from a severe shortage of drinking water.”
Russia is strengthening its relationship with Burkina Faso, especially after the second “Russia Africa” summit, which was attended by Burkina Faso’s transitional president, Ibrahim Traoré.
Russia reopened its embassy in Ouagadougou at the end of last year, where the embassy had been closed since 1992.
Source: Novosti
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2024-10-07 23:08:14