Burkina Faso has inaugurated its first-ever gold refinery as the West African country intensifies efforts to process its mineral resources locally and gain greater control over the lucrative gold industry.

The refinery was officially opened on Monday in the capital, Ouagadougou, by the country’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, who has made economic sovereignty and domestic industrialisation central to his administration.

Burkina Faso is one of Africa’s major gold producers, ranking third on the continent and producing more than 94 tonnes of gold in 2025, according to figures from the World Gold Council.

However, the country has faced longstanding difficulties in regulating its informal gold mining sector, which has been affected by smuggling and insecurity linked to jihadist groups operating across the Sahel.

The presidency described the inauguration of the refinery as a “historic milestone” in Burkina Faso’s efforts to achieve greater economic independence.

Traore, who seized power in a 2022 coup, said the country’s objective was to move beyond exporting unprocessed minerals and establish a complete domestic value chain.

“Our ambition is no longer to be a country that simply extracts and ships our raw materials abroad,” the presidency quoted Traore as saying.

“We want to refine all our metals locally… we want to have the entire value chain here.”

The development is part of a broader push by Traore’s administration to increase state involvement in the mining sector and revive domestic industrial production.

Under his leadership, Burkina Faso has nationalised several gold mines while also promoting local production in sectors including cotton, tomatoes and textiles.

Authorities have also taken measures to tighten control over gold produced by informal miners.

In 2024, the government suspended gold exports from informal mining operations, with Mines Minister Yacouba Zabre Gouba saying the measure was intended to help authorities better organise the sector.

Traore has previously warned that significant quantities of Burkina Faso’s gold were being smuggled out of the country, arguing that illicit trade could contribute to the financing of armed groups.

Burkina Faso has been battling jihadist insurgencies for years, with armed groups controlling or operating in large parts of the country and carrying out frequent attacks.

The government has mobilised civilian volunteers to support the military in its fight against the insurgents.

Gold has become increasingly valuable as international prices have reached record levels in recent months, making the precious metal an important source of revenue while also contributing to trafficking networks across the Sahel.

According to the presidency, the newly inaugurated National Gold Refinery of Burkina Faso, known as RAFFINOR-BF, has an annual production capacity of 164 tonnes of gold.

The refinery, which has been under construction since 2023, is expected to eventually increase its capacity to as much as 515 tonnes annually.

The facility was built at a cost of 11 billion CFA francs, equivalent to about $19 million, with funding provided by the Burkinabe state in partnership with domestic private-sector investors.

The government expects the refinery to strengthen its ability to monitor gold production and commercialisation while retaining more of the economic value generated from the country’s mineral resources.

The inauguration represents another step in Burkina Faso’s effort to shift from exporting raw materials towards domestic processing and industrialisation.

More than 20 African heads of state and government representatives are expected to gather in Egypt on Friday for the inaugural Alamein Africa Forum, a three-day business summit aimed at deepening trade, investment and economic cooperation across the continent.

The summit, which will take place in the Mediterranean city of Alamein, is part of Egypt’s renewed efforts to strengthen its economic and diplomatic influence in Africa amid the growing presence of China and Gulf countries, particularly the United Arab Emirates.

Egypt, which has traditionally focused much of its foreign policy attention on the Middle East and Mediterranean region, has in recent years sought to expand its engagement with African countries through trade, investment and infrastructure projects.

The forum is expected to bring together African political leaders, business executives, bankers and representatives of development institutions to discuss opportunities in infrastructure, trade, agriculture, healthcare, mining, technology and renewable energy.

Egypt’s Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs, Mohamed Abu Bakr Saleh, described the gathering as an African platform designed to facilitate business partnerships across the continent.

He said a major objective was to enable businesses from different African regions to establish agreements and partnerships through the forum.

According to Saleh, the event is expected to become a biennial gathering under an African Union mandate.

Egypt seeks stronger economic ties
Egyptian officials estimate the country’s investments across Africa at about $14 billion, with infrastructure projects forming a significant part of its economic engagement.

One of the country’s flagship investments is the $3 billion Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project in Tanzania, which was constructed by a consortium led by Egyptian companies.

Cairo is also seeking to use stronger economic ties with African countries to expand its influence at a time when China and Gulf states have become major investors across the continent.

Saleh said Africa had significant economic potential but required greater investment and stronger intra-African trade to fully exploit its resources.

“Africa possesses vast resources, but they are still not being exploited to the level we would like to see,” he said.

Trade among African countries stood at about $192 billion in 2023, representing roughly 15 per cent of the continent’s total trade.

This compares with more than 55 per cent of total trade conducted within Asia and over 70 per cent in Europe.

Africa also attracted about $70 billion in foreign direct investment in 2025, according to United Nations figures, compared with approximately $1.6 trillion invested globally.

GERD dispute remains a major backdrop
The summit is also taking place against the backdrop of Egypt’s longstanding dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the River Nile.

The approximately $5 billion project, which Ethiopia inaugurated last year, is Africa’s largest hydroelectric project and is viewed by Addis Ababa as critical to economic development and electricity generation.

Egypt, however, has repeatedly raised concerns that the operation of the dam could affect its access to Nile waters, on which the country heavily depends.

More than a decade of negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan has failed to produce a binding agreement governing the filling and operation of the dam.

Egypt has maintained that any arrangement must protect what it describes as its water security.

“Our position on Egypt’s water security has not changed and will not change,” Saleh said, describing the issue as existential for Egypt.

The Alamein Africa Forum therefore comes as Egypt seeks to deepen economic relationships across the continent while continuing to navigate one of Africa’s most persistent disputes over shared water resources.

The Dougha Tamarkuro Humanitarian Initiatives (DTHI) has provided welfare and educational support to 50 serving police officers and 20 children of officers who died in active service in Bayelsa State.

The intervention was carried out on Monday at the Police Officers’ Mess in Yenagoa under the organisation’s National Police Welfare and Resilience Programme.

Tagged “The Police Are Our Friends,” the programme was designed to promote the psychological well-being and resilience of police personnel while also supporting the educational needs of children of fallen officers.

The 50 police beneficiaries, drawn from junior, mid-level and senior ranks, participated in a mental health and resilience workshop as part of the programme.

They also received welfare food support aimed at providing additional assistance to personnel serving in the state.

Twenty children of deceased police officers benefited from DTHI’s Fallen Heroes Education Support Scheme, which focuses on supporting the educational needs of children whose parents lost their lives while serving the country.

Speaking at the event, the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Adewale, described the intervention as a significant gesture of support for police personnel and families of officers who died in the line of duty.

Adewale said the initiative complemented the welfare efforts of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, towards improving the well-being of police officers and their families.

He stressed the importance of addressing the mental and emotional health of police personnel, noting that the demanding nature of police work required adequate support for officers to effectively perform their duties.

“The mental and emotional well-being of police personnel is essential to effective, professional and compassionate policing. Officers who are adequately supported are better positioned to discharge their responsibilities with renewed commitment and resilience,” the commissioner said.

Adewale commended DTHI for extending its intervention beyond serving officers to include children of fallen police personnel.

He described the support as a recognition of the sacrifices made by police officers who lost their lives while serving the country.

According to him, providing assistance to the families of deceased officers was important to ensure that the sacrifices of fallen personnel continued to be recognised and appreciated.

The commissioner also said humanitarian interventions targeted at police personnel could help strengthen the relationship between the police and members of the public.

He expressed appreciation to DTHI for its commitment to supporting police officers and families of fallen personnel in Bayelsa State.

The intervention underscores the importance of welfare and psychosocial support for security personnel, particularly officers working in demanding environments, while providing assistance to families left behind by personnel who died in active service.