Guinea arrests 1,263 over illegal gold mining

Guinea has arrested 1,263 people in its northeastern gold-producing region during a crackdown on illegal mining, according to a government statement.

A joint statement from Guinea's defence and security ministries said those arrested for alleged gold panning included citizens of Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Niger, Ivory Coast and Ghana.

The arrests followed a ban on unregulated and clandestine mining in the Siguiri region that took effect on November 2.

Neighbouring Mali said on Saturday that it had taken in about 160,000 people expelled from Guinea since the start of the operations, warning of a humanitarian emergency.

Guinea is rich in mineral resources, including gold and bauxite. Authorities say they are trying to curb environmental damage linked to artisanal gold mining, including land degradation and water pollution.