Senegal has suspended all mining activity for nearly three years along the southeastern Faleme River to protect the environment and support local communities impacted by artisanal gold mining, according to the Senegalese Press Agency.
Mining-related dredging and chemical discharges have polluted the river, which flows from Guinea, along Senegal's border with Mali, and into the Senegal river.
The suspension applies to all Senegalese territory up to 500 meters from the river's left bank until June 30, 2027. A survey revealed that illegal mining sites along the Faleme on both the Senegalese and Malian sides have increased to over 800 from 600 in 2021, according to the report.
The Faleme, once home to diverse fish and mammals like hippos and crucial for local agriculture, is in an urgent need of restoration. This was highlighted in a 2024 paper published in the Journal of Water Resource and Protection.