Gold production in Burkina Faso dropped significantly due to a surge in Jihadist activity in a country where military rulers have been in power since September 2022. Output of the precious metal fell 1.5% to 57.3 tons in 2023, the Ministry of Mines, Quarries and Energy said. Earlier this month, Burkina Faso judicial authorities said an attack on a village in Yatenga province left 170 people dead, including women and children. The attack came as the military authorities in the country warned against increased risk of attacks by extremist groups, including on urban centers. The country’s army seized power in 2022, but more than a third of Burkina Faso is controlled by insurgents.
