Where the Sahel’s gold, uranium, lithium, iron and hydrocarbons are, who runs them, and how armed groups, PMCs and state forces relate to them. 65 mapped sites plus two crude pipelines; every Tier 1–2 site and each artisanal zone has a note under Resource Sites. Security events at or near sites are numbered on the security map and listed below with their Key Event notes.
Caveats
Coordinates are approximate: USGS facility points (2021, from the 2018 Minerals Yearbook), OpenStreetMap and Wikipedia/mindat geotags. Points marked ‘approx’ or ‘schematic’ in the tables are derived from a stated distance or town and can be 10–30 km off; artisanal-zone markers stand for a belt, not a pit. Production comes from company reports and ministries (mostly FY2025); several juntas and nationalised operators no longer publish, so Boungou, Wahgnion, Bissa-Bouly, Lefa, Namdini and the Bongor basin are tiered on older or design figures. Event points are town-level. Party claims (FAMa, JNIM, Russian channels) keep their claim tags.
Maps
Overview: all sites, tiered markers, status, pipelines. Boxes A–D are the zoom maps.
Security overlay: the same sites with numbered security events (key below the map and in the table here).
The security map over reported armed-group presence* (grey), derived from the anonymous third-party Google My Maps ‘Sahel’ (Sahel Monitor), snapshot of 21 Oct 2026; grade C, not verified control. Credit on the image; see Sahel control map (Google My Maps). * Not independently confirmed: third-party map (Sahel Monitor’s Google My Maps), grade C.
Zoom A: Kayes and the western Mali–Senegal gold belt; grey = reported armed-group presence*. * Not independently confirmed: third-party map (Sahel Monitor’s Google My Maps), grade C.
Zoom B: Liptako-Gourma tri-border; grey = reported armed-group presence*. * Not independently confirmed: third-party map (Sahel Monitor’s Google My Maps), grade C.
Zoom C: Aïr / Arlit uranium province.
Zoom D: Agadem block and the Niger–Benin export pipeline (Niger leg).
How to read the maps
- Colour = sector (orange gold, green other minerals, blue oil & gas); shape = commodity (circle gold or oil field, triangle uranium, diamond lithium, square iron ore or refinery, pentagon phosphate, octagon zinc, hexagon manganese, down-triangle copper-gold, star LNG). Only three colours are used because more hues cannot be told apart reliably on a map, including by colour-blind readers; shape carries the rest.
- Marker area = tier, roughly doubling per step. Artisanal zones are translucent orange discs with a dashed rim and a cross.
- Fill = status: solid = producing; hatched = suspended or disrupted; hollow = development; grey rim = closed or care & maintenance. A black ring flags state seizure, nationalisation, permit withdrawal or state administration since 2023 (current or reversed, e.g. Loulo-Gounkoto).
- Black X = security event, numbered; events that sit on a site are nudged a few points down-right so the site stays visible.
- Grey areas and small hollow markers (zooms A and B and the presence map only) = reported armed-group presence* from Sahel control map (Google My Maps) (grade C): darker fill = IS, light fill with dashed rim = JNIM, dotted rim = JNIM/FLA, faintest = JAS and NW Nigeria bandit factions; hollow circle / square / diamond / triangle = a town the map gives to IS / JNIM / JNIM-FLA / JAS or bandits. State-held features are not drawn. It shows where the mapper reports a group, not who controls the ground, and it is never used to place a site or an event. * Not independently confirmed: third-party map (Sahel Monitor’s Google My Maps), grade C.
Tier rule
Tier = latest full year of normal operation (2025 unless stated). Sites that are suspended or closed keep the tier of their last normal year; development projects are tiered by design capacity and drawn hollow. Tier 1 is roughly ‘national-scale’ (a top asset for its country or the region), Tier 2 ‘major’, Tier 3 ‘minor’. Artisanal zones have no reliable production figure and get their own marker.
| Commodity | Unit | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | koz/yr | ≥ 400 | 150–399 | < 150 |
| Uranium | tU/yr | ≥ 1,000 | 300–999 | < 300 |
| Lithium (spodumene concentrate) | kt/yr | ≥ 250 | 50–249 | < 50 |
| Iron ore | Mt/yr | ≥ 10 | 1–10 | < 1 |
| Phosphate rock | Mt/yr | ≥ 5 | 0.5–5 | < 0.5 |
| Copper / zinc (contained metal) | kt/yr | ≥ 100 | 30–99 | < 30 |
| Manganese ore | Mt/yr | ≥ 2 | 0.3–2 | < 0.3 |
| Crude oil | kb/d | ≥ 50 | 10–49 | < 10 |
| LNG / gas | mtpa | ≥ 2 | 0.5–2 | < 0.5 |
| Refinery (capacity) | kb/d | ≥ 100 | 10–99 | < 10 |
Sites by commodity and tier
| Commodity | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Artisanal | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 4 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 42 |
| Uranium | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Lithium | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Iron ore | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Phosphate | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Copper-gold | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Zinc | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Manganese | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Crude oil | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| LNG / gas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Oil refining | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| All | 12 | 25 | 17 | 11 | 65 |
Plus two crude pipelines with notes: Niger–Benin export pipeline and Chad–Cameroon pipeline.
Tier 1–2 sites and artisanal zones (notes)
- Gold: Loulo-Gounkoto gold mine (T1, Mali) · Fekola gold mine (T1, Mali) · Tasiast gold mine (T1, Mauritania) · Essakane gold mine (T1, Burkina Faso) · Sabodala-Massawa gold mine (T2, Senegal) · Siguiri gold mine (T2, Guinea) · Houndé gold mine (T2, Burkina Faso) · Sanbrado gold mine (T2, Burkina Faso) · Sadiola gold mine (T2, Mali) · Syama gold mine (T2, Mali) · Mana gold mine (T2, Burkina Faso) · Bissa-Bouly gold mine (T2, Burkina Faso) · Kiaka gold mine (T2, Burkina Faso) · Namdini gold mine (T2, Ghana) · Boungou gold mine (T2, Burkina Faso) · Wahgnion gold mine (T2, Burkina Faso) · Lefa gold mine (T2, Guinea) · Kobada gold project (T2, Mali) · Intahaka artisanal gold site (artisanal, Mali) · Kidal artisanal gold zone (Adrar des Ifoghas) (artisanal, Mali) · Tessit artisanal gold zone (artisanal, Mali) · Kéniéba artisanal gold zone (artisanal, Mali) · Kangaba–Narena artisanal gold zone (artisanal, Mali) · Burkina Sahel artisanal gold belt (artisanal, Burkina Faso) · Komabangou artisanal gold site (artisanal, Niger) · Djado artisanal gold zone (artisanal, Niger) · Tibesti artisanal gold zone (artisanal, Chad) · Chami artisanal gold hub (artisanal, Mauritania) · Zamfara artisanal goldfields (artisanal, Nigeria)
- Uranium: SOMAIR uranium mine (Arlit) (T1, Niger) · Imouraren uranium deposit (T1, Niger) · Dasa uranium project (T1, Niger) · Madaouela uranium project (T2, Niger) · Azelik uranium mine (T2, Niger) · COMINAK uranium mine (Akouta) (T2, Niger)
- Lithium: Goulamina lithium mine (T1, Mali) · Bougouni lithium mine (T2, Mali)
- Iron ore: SNIM iron ore mines (Zouérat) (T1, Mauritania)
- Phosphate: Taïba phosphate mine (ICS) (T2, Senegal)
- Zinc: Perkoa zinc mine (T2, Burkina Faso)
- Crude oil: Agadem oil block (T1, Niger) · Sangomar oil field (T1, Senegal) · Doba oil fields (T2, Chad) · Badila and Mangara oil fields (T2, Chad) · Bongor basin oil fields (CNPC) (T2, Chad)
- LNG / gas: Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG (T1, Mauritania / Senegal)
- Oil refining: Soraz refinery (Zinder) (T2, Niger) · Djermaya refinery (T2, Chad)
Tier 3 sites (no separate note)
| Site | Country | Commodity | Status | Operator / owner | Production | Coordinates (source) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tongon | Côte d’Ivoire | Gold | Producing: Producing | Atlantic Group (Côte d’Ivoire) since 2 Dec 2025, ex-Barrick | ~140 koz forecast for 2025 | 9.940, -5.694 (USGS Africa_GIS 2021) |
| Mako | Senegal | Gold | Producing: Producing from stockpiles (pit mining ended Jun 2025) | Resolute Mining (Australia) 90%, Senegal 10% | 101 koz in 2025; 55–65 koz guided for 2026 from stockpiles | 12.848, -12.433 (OSM) |
| Bomboré | Burkina Faso | Gold | Producing: Producing; phase II expansion | Orezone Gold (Canada) 90%, state 10% | 110 koz in 2025; 170–185 koz guided for 2026 | 12.200, -0.800 (approx (‘~85 km E of Ouagadougou’)) |
| Yanfolila (Komana) | Mali | Gold | Producing: Presumed producing (unverified) | Nioko Resources (ex-Hummingbird, UK), Mali 20% | 84 koz in 2023 (latest published) | 11.236, -8.462 (OSM (Komana West pit)) |
| Youga | Burkina Faso | Gold | Producing: Restarted Oct 2024 | Soleil Resources International 90% | No figures since 2018 | 11.101, -0.469 (USGS Africa_GIS 2021) |
| Samira Hill ⚫ | Niger | Gold | Suspended / disrupted: Nationalised; operating level unverified | SML, nationalised 8 Aug 2025 (ex-McKinel Resources, Australia) | 177 kg (~5.7 koz) in 2023 (EITI) | 13.418, 1.232 (USGS Africa_GIS 2021; WP 13.412,1.229) |
| Taparko ⚫ | Burkina Faso | Gold | Suspended / disrupted: Suspended since Apr 2022 (security); permit revoked | Ex-Nordgold; permit withdrawn by the state 11 Sep 2025 | 2.9 t in 2022, 0.35 t later | 13.526, -0.346 (USGS Africa_GIS 2021) |
| Karma | Burkina Faso | Gold | Suspended / disrupted: Suspended since the Jun 2022 raid | Néré Mining / Riverstone Karma (Burkina) | ~97 koz/yr design | 13.600, -2.240 (approx (‘20 km E of Ouahigouya’)) |
| Inata ⚫ | Burkina Faso | Gold | Closed / care & maintenance: Closed | SMB (Balaji Group, India); permit withdrawn 2021/2023 | none | 14.362, -1.304 (USGS Africa_GIS 2021; mindat 14.357,-1.306) |
| Morila ⚫ | Mali | Gold | Closed / care & maintenance: State-owned, restart planned; raided by JNIM 3 Jan 2026 | SOREM (Malian state) since Jun 2025; restart deal with Flagship Gold (US) | none current | 11.679, -6.850 (WP; USGS Africa_GIS 2021 11.673,-6.850) |
| Yatela ⚫ | Mali | Gold | Closed / care & maintenance: Closed | SOREM (Malian state) since Jun 2025 | none since 2013 | 14.086, -11.753 (USGS Africa_GIS 2021) |
| Tabakoto | Mali | Gold | Closed / care & maintenance: Believed care & maintenance (unverified) | Algom Resources (BCM) since 2018 (current owner unverified) | no post-2019 figure | 12.946, -11.195 (USGS Africa_GIS 2021) |
| Kalana | Mali | Gold | Development: Stalled project | Endeavour Mining 80%, Mali 20%; seeking local buyers (Jun 2026) | undeveloped | 10.791, -8.203 (USGS Africa_GIS 2021; OSM) |
| Guelb Moghrein | Mauritania | Copper-gold | Producing: Producing; mine life to 2027 | First Quantum Minerals (Canada) 100% | 14.6 kt Cu + 32 koz Au in 2025 | 19.746, -14.428 (USGS Africa_GIS 2021) |
| Tilemsi phosphate | Mali | Phosphate | Development: Dormant since 2012 | Great Quest (Canada) exploration; historic small state extraction | none current | 17.544, -0.118 (USGS Africa_GIS 2021) |
| Tambao | Burkina Faso | Manganese | Closed / care & maintenance: Idle | Pan African Minerals permit disputed; state seeking partner | none since 2015 | 14.789, 0.063 (mindat (WP 14.750,0.053)) |
| Chinguetti | Mauritania | Crude oil | Closed / care & maintenance: Shut 2017–18 | Ex-Woodside/Petronas | ~75 kb/d at 2006 start, ~5 kb/d at the end | 18.300, -16.900 (approx (offshore)) |
⚫ = state takeover flag (black ring on the map).
Security events on the maps
| # | Date | Place and event | Note | Coordinates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 2025 – Jan 2026 | Diboli: JNIM attack; convoy ambush. JNIM hit the Senegal border post on 1 Jul 2025; a fuel convoy was ambushed on the Diboli–Kayes axis on 29 Jan 2026 (≥15 killed, dozens of tankers burned). | Bamako fuel blockade (2025-26) | 14.458, -12.199 (WP-fr) | Africanews, 2 Feb 2026: https://www.africanews.com/amp/2026/02/02/deadly-jihadist-attack-hits-fuel-convoy-in-western-mali/ |
| 2 | 1 Jul 2025 | Kayes: JNIM attack on regional capital. Part of JNIM’s 1 Jul 2025 coordinated attacks on seven western and central Malian towns. | JNIM attacks in Kayes region (Jul 2025) | 14.450, -11.433 (WP) | ADF, Jul 2025: https://adf-magazine.com/2025/07/jnim-focuses-attacks-on-malian-urban-military-sites/ |
| 3 | Jul 2025 – Jan 2026 | Bafoulabé: Indians abducted; 3 plants hit. 1 Jul 2025: 3 Indian workers abducted at the Diamond Cement plant. 11 Jan 2026: 150–200 attackers hit three industrial sites on the RN22. | JNIM attacks in Kayes region (Jul 2025) | 13.790, -10.850 (approx (Gangontéri on the RN22 near Mahina)) | Scroll.in, 2 Jul 2025: https://scroll.in/latest/1084132/three-indians-abducted-in-mali-amid-series-of-terror-attacks-mea-seeks-action-to-secure-release; RFI via AllAfrica, 12 Jan 2026: https://fr.allafrica.com/stories/202601120531.html |
| 4 | May – Jul 2025 | Sandaré: Sadiola convoy hit; JNIM attack. 4 May 2025: a convoy carrying equipment to Sadiola was attacked between Diéma and Sandaré. 1 Jul 2025: Sandaré attacked. | JNIM attacks in Kayes region (Jul 2025) | 14.704, -10.306 (WP-fr) | Wikipedia, 2025 in Mali: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_in_Mali |
| 5 | Jul – Sep 2025 | Nioro du Sahel: JNIM attack, then blockade. Attacked 1 Jul 2025; JNIM declared a fuel blockade of Kayes and Nioro on 3 Sep 2025. | JNIM attacks in Kayes region (Jul 2025) | 15.183, -9.550 (WP) | Wikipedia, Mali fuel blockade: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali_fuel_blockade |
| 6 | Sep 2025 | Lakamané: 20–80 fuel tankers burned. Convoy of 40–100+ tankers attacked between Kaniéra and Lakamané (Diéma cercle). | Bamako fuel blockade (2025-26) | 14.506, -9.907 (WP) | Janes, tanker attacks: https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/defence-and-national-security-analysis/jnim-attacks-on-fuel-tanker-convoys-in-western-mali-underline-broader-risks-to-government-and-social-stability |
| 7 | May 2025 – May 2026 | Narena: Chinese miners abducted. 12 May 2025: 2 Chinese abducted and 3 killed at Chinese-run sites. 18 May 2026: 9 Chinese reportedly abducted (single source, unverified). | 12.226, -8.634 (OSM) | ICTJ/AP, May 2025: https://www.ictj.org/latest-news/armed-group-mounts-double-attack-artisanal-mining-site-mali-leaving-3-dead-and | |
| 8 | 31 Dec 2025 | Kalana: JNIM attack, 2 Chinese reported taken. JNIM attacked three FAMa positions; local sources say 2 Chinese were kidnapped (METIS, unverified). | 10.790, -8.200 (USGS Africa_GIS 2021) | see site note | |
| 9 | 22 Aug 2025 | Bougouni lithium mine attacked, guard killed. Armed attack repelled by FAMa stationed at the site; one guard killed. | 11.370, -7.580 (approx) | Northern Miner, Aug 2025: https://www.northernminer.com/news/guard-killed-in-attack-at-kodals-mali-lithium-mine/1003881944/ | |
| 10 | 3 Jan 2026 | Morila: JNIM raid, 7 staff taken. Equipment burned, seven employees taken hostage and released the next evening. | 11.679, -6.850 (WP) | Mining Journal, 6 Jan 2026: https://www.mining-journal.com/miners/news-analysis/4525254/militia-attack-morila-mali | |
| 11 | 10 Sep 2026 | Dioura: JNIM overruns base. JNIM overran the Dioura base; >100 soldiers reported killed and 92 captured; FAMa evacuated two companies. | Dioura attack (Sep 2026) | 14.825, -5.251 (WP) | Polity/Reuters, 21 Sep 2026: https://www.polity.org.za/article/al-qaeda-linked-militants-kill-more-than-100-malian-soldiers-in-attack-this-month-sources-say-2026-09-21 |
| 12 | Feb 2024 – Oct 2026 | Intahaka: seized, lost, retaken. Feb 2024 FAMa+Wagner seizure; Nov 2025 state takeover for SOREM; ~27 Apr 2026 handed to FLA/JNIM; FAMa back ~17–18 Oct 2026. | Kidal retaken (Oct 2026) | 16.204, -0.477 (fr.WP/OSM) | bamada.net, 19 Oct 2026: https://bamada.net/region-de-gao-le-ministre-des-mines-a-la-tete-dune-forte-delegation-en-visite-a-la-mine-dor-dintahaka |
| 13 | Apr – Oct 2026 | Tessit: FAMa withdrawal; JNIM–ISSP fighting. FAMa left Tessit ~27 Apr 2026; JNIM won a battle with ISSP there ~7 Oct 2026; fires 14–16 Oct. | JNIM-ISSP Oudalan clashes (Oct 2026) | 15.226, 0.292 (OSM) | see site note |
| 14 | Aug – Oct 2026 | Kidal: mining-gear site struck; town retaken. 2 Aug 2026: FAMa says it struck a gathering site with mining equipment in Kidal. ~6 Oct: FAMa and Africa Corps re-enter Kidal. | Kidal retaken (Oct 2026) | 18.441, 1.408 (WP) | see site note |
| 15 | Jul 2024 | Tinzaouaten: Wagner/FAMa convoy destroyed. CSP-DPA and JNIM ambush; Wagner’s worst loss in Africa. | Battle of Tinzaouaten (Jul 2024) | 19.950, 2.966 (OSM) | see site note |
| 16 | 4 Aug 2026 | Alkoma: IED on Essakane convoy; reprisals. IED on the army escort of an Essakane supply convoy (~10 soldiers killed); survivors accuse soldiers of killing ≥48 civilians. | Alkoma reprisal killings (Aug 2026) | 14.261, 0.070 (OSM (Alkoma)) | RFI via AllAfrica, 12 Aug 2026: https://fr.allafrica.com/stories/202608120498.html |
| 17 | 9 Jun 2022 | Karma mine raided, then suspended. About 200 attackers raided the mine; one soldier and one employee killed. | 13.600, -2.240 (approx) | see site note | |
| 18 | 6 Nov 2019 | Boungou road: mine convoy ambush, 37–39 killed. SEMAFO staff convoy ambushed; ISGS suspected. | 12.050, 1.000 (approx (‘~40 km from the mine on the Fada road’)) | Al Jazeera, Nov 2019: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/burkina-faso-37-killed-attack-canadian-mining-convoy-191106225055900.html | |
| 19 | May – Aug 2025 | Samira Hill: IED kills 8; mine nationalised. Roadside IED killed at least 8 mine workers; SML nationalised 8 Aug 2025. | 13.418, 1.232 (USGS Africa_GIS 2021) | see site note | |
| 20 | Jul 2024 | Mbanga (Téra): Russian geologist kidnapped. A Russian (Oleg Gret) and a Ukrainian working for a Russian geology company were kidnapped; held by JNIM; Russia says Africa Corps freed them in Mali (Apr 2026). | 14.011, 0.753 (WP (Téra town)) | Africanews, 22 Apr 2026: https://africanews.com/2026/04/22/two-hostages-captured-in-niger-freed-by-russias-africa-corps-in-mali | |
| 21 | Jun – Jul 2024 | Salkam: pipeline guards ambushed; FPL sabotage. 12 Jun 2024: 6 soldiers guarding the pipeline killed between Salkam and Tibiri; Jul 2024 FPL sabotage near Muntseka (same area). | Niger oil pipeline attacks (2024-26) | 13.145, 3.878 (OSM (Nominatim)) | Al Arabiya/Reuters, 13 Jun 2024: https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2024/06/13/six-niger-soldiers-killed-in-attack-on-niger-benin-oil-pipeline-security-sources-say |
| 22 | 16–17 Jun 2024 | Tesker: FPL pipeline sabotage. FPL’s first claimed sabotage, >370 m spill; demands Bazoum’s release. | Niger oil pipeline attacks (2024-26) | 15.116, 10.696 (OSM (Nominatim)) | S&P Global, 18 Jun 2024: https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/crude-oil/061824-armed-group-says-it-attacked-troubled-niger-benin-oil-pipeline |
| 23 | Feb 2025 – Feb 2026 | Agadem: CNPC staff kidnapped; MPLJ attacks. Feb 2025: 2 CNPC staff kidnapped and 2 gendarmes killed (ISSP suspected). Nov–Dec 2025 and 10 Feb 2026: MPLJ attacks on oil sites. | Niger oil pipeline attacks (2024-26) | 15.650, 12.950 (approx (Agadem block)) | China Global South, 5 Feb 2025: https://chinaglobalsouth.com/2025/02/05/two-chinese-oil-workers-kidnapped-in-niger/; Vanguard/AFP, 11 Feb 2026: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/02/niger-army-says-repelled-rebel-attack-on-oil-pipeline/ |
| 24 | ~5–7 Oct 2026 | Bindin (Zamfara): base and mine site attacked. ICIR: 8 soldiers, 1 policeman and ≥23 miners killed; Sahel Monitor: Gwaska faction, 25 soldiers. | 11.676, 6.336 (OSM (Nominatim)) | ICIR, 9 Oct 2026 (www.icirnigeria.org) | |
| 25 | 14 Oct 2026 | Miski: militia attacks army mining brigade. 2 soldiers killed, 9 wounded; the army threatens to treat refusal to disarm as rebellion. | 20.167, 18.017 (WP) | Koaci, 15 Oct 2026: https://www.koaci.com/article/2026/10/15/tchad/politique/tchad-deux-militaires-tues-dans-des-affrontements-avec-une-milice-au-tibesti_201651.html |
Notable findings
- Gold is where the armed groups and the juntas meet. Every one of the three juntas has taken assets from foreign operators since 2023: Mali seized and administered Loulo-Gounkoto (Barrick, settled Nov 2025) and moved Morila and Yatela to the state company SOREM; Burkina nationalised Boungou and Wahgnion and revoked Taparko; Niger nationalised SOMAIR and Samira Hill and withdrew the Imouraren and Madaouela permits. Chad did the same to the Doba oil fields in 2023.
- The industrial mines are mostly not attacked directly; their roads are. The Essakane convoy IED (4 Aug 2026, Alkoma reprisal killings (Aug 2026)), the 2019 Boungou convoy massacre, the May 2025 Sadiola convoy attack, and JNIM’s blockade of the Kayes and Bamako–Sikasso corridors (Bamako fuel blockade (2025-26), JNIM attacks in Kayes region (Jul 2025)) hurt output more than raids: Syama cut its 2026 guidance on road insecurity and explosives imports. Direct raids hit smaller or state-run sites: Morila (3 Jan 2026), the Bougouni lithium mine (22 Aug 2025), Karma (2022) and Samira Hill (May 2025).
- Chinese-run artisanal and semi-mechanised sites are JNIM’s softest foreign target. At least 11 Chinese were abducted at foreign-run sites in Kayes in Jul–Sep 2025 and 38 of 89 foreigners abducted in Mali in 2025 were Chinese (Kéniéba artisanal gold zone, Kangaba–Narena artisanal gold zone). Large Chinese assets (Goulamina, Agadem) have not been raided, but sit on blockaded or sabotaged supply lines.
- Artisanal gold is the armed groups’ resource. JNIM taxes sites across the Burkina Sahel artisanal gold belt and, with the FLA, the Adrar des Ifoghas; JNIM and the ISSP fight over Tessit. The state answers by seizing sites for state companies: Intahaka changed hands four times (Wagner/FAMa Feb 2024, SOREM Nov 2025, FLA/JNIM Apr 2026, FAMa ~17–18 Oct 2026), with Africa Corps reportedly involved.
- Niger’s oil is threatened by rebels, not jihadists. Every claimed attack on the Niger–Benin export pipeline and Agadem came from the FPL or its MPLJ offshoot (Niger oil pipeline attacks (2024-26)); the ISSP is only suspected in the Feb 2025 CNPC kidnapping.
- Russian, Chinese, Turkish and Western stakes: Russia holds Nordgold’s Bissa-Bouly and Lefa, a 38% stake in Mali’s planned Yadran gold refinery (groundbreaking Jun 2025), and a speculated role in Niger uranium (none confirmed). China holds Goulamina, half of Bougouni, Namdini, Azelik, Agadem/WAPCO/Soraz and Chad’s Bongor basin and Djermaya, and briefly bid for Allied Gold (Sadiola). Turkey has a 2024 mining MoU with Niger but no confirmed operating mine; the SOHR report of Turkish-trained Syrians guarding sites in Niger (SADAT) is still unconfirmed. Canadian (B2Gold, IAMGOLD, Kinross, Allied, Orezone, Global Atomic), Australian (Resolute, West African Resources, Toubani, Woodside) and UK (Endeavour, Kodal) companies still run most industrial output; the US is back through DFC financing for Dasa.
Data sources and years
- Coordinates: USGS, Compilation of Geospatial Data (GIS) for the Mineral Industries and Related Infrastructure of Africa (Africa_GIS.gdb, 2021, DOI 10.5066/P97EQWXP; facility data from the USGS Minerals Yearbook 2018 country chapters); OpenStreetMap Nominatim and Overpass (Oct 2026, ODbL); Wikipedia and mindat geotags.
- Pipelines: OSM ways 1225590061 / 1164438280 (Niger–Benin, Benin leg detailed, Niger leg coarse) and 312521154 (Agadem–Soraz); USGS Africa_GIS (Chad–Cameroon, Bongor–Djermaya). Global Energy Monitor’s trackers need a download form and were not used.
- Production and status: company filings for FY2025 / H1 2026 (Barrick, B2Gold, Kinross, IAMGOLD, Endeavour, Allied, Resolute, WAF, Orezone, AngloGold, First Quantum, Woodside, Kosmos, Global Atomic, Kodal), Ganfeng’s 2025 annual report, national mines ministries (Mali, Burkina) via Reuters/Ecofin, EITI (Niger 2023), Orano (2024), press (Reuters, AFP, RFI, Mining Weekly, Northern Miner, Ecofin, Africanews). National totals: Mali industrial gold 54.8 t (2024), 42.2 t (2025, provisional); Burkina 53.4 t (2024), 51.6 t industrial + >42 t artisanal (2025); Chad oil ~140 kb/d (2025).
- Security: press and monitoring sources per event (table above); channel claims carry their grade tags in the site notes.
Could not verify
- Coordinates for the Intahaka pits (village point used; Sahel Monitor pins ~17 km south), Kidal and Liptako artisanal sites (schematic), Tchibarakaten, Kouri Bougoudi and Batha (not mapped), Bougouni lithium pit, Kobada, Bomboré, Sanbrado, Boungou, Karma, Namdini, Sangomar and the GTA hub (approximate).
- 2025 output for Boungou, Wahgnion, Bissa-Bouly, Lefa, Namdini, Yanfolila and the CNPC Bongor fields; Niger’s 2025 oil output (exports derived from cargo counts).
- Any Africa Corps role at Arlit or in moving SOMAIR uranium; the buyer of the ~1,000 t yellowcake stock; Chinese PSCs at Malian mines; Turkish operating mines.
- Single-source events: Kalana kidnappings (31 Dec 2025), Narena 9 Chinese (18 May 2026), Dosso pipeline sabotage (Dec 2024, Mar 2025), Alkoma reprisals (survivor accounts only).