Guinea says gold mining clashes killed at least 10

Guinea's government said clashes between security forces and gold miners in the northeastern Siguiri district killed at least 10 people during a crackdown on illegal mining.

The government said the unrest took place on Wednesday after a November 2 ban on unregulated and illegal gold mining in the area, where the military was later deployed. It said the dead included five foreign nationals.

Thirteen people, including security force personnel, were wounded, the government said. It said prosecutors had been asked to investigate the circumstances of the incident.

The government said protesters had set up barricades during a security forces patrol and that the situation escalated into clashes. It said gunfire broke out but did not say who fired first.

Residents told AFP there was a large security and law enforcement presence, with many people unable or afraid to reach the areas where the clashes happened. One witness said he saw bodies after the situation calmed, and another resident said his father had been wounded and was without assistance.

The mining crackdown has also led to large expulsions of foreign nationals who had come to work in the region's mines. Mali's government said on Saturday that about 160,000 people expelled from Guinea had arrived in Mali, warning of a humanitarian emergency.