The ban, announced by the newly-established Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), follows the passage of a law earlier this month that grants the state body exclusive control over the purchase, sale, and export of gold produced by the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector.

“All foreigners are hereby notified to exit the local gold trading market not later than 30th April, 2025,” said GoldBod spokesperson Prince Kwame Minkah in a statement.

As Africa’s top gold producer and the sixth largest globally, Ghana has long grappled with widespread illegal mining—known locally as galamsey—and growing environmental degradation.

The decision to centralize gold trading is seen as part of President John Mahama’s renewed crackdown on illicit mining and a step toward formalizing the gold sector.

The new directive revokes the licenses of all local gold dealers, though a grace period has been granted to allow for a smooth transition. During this time, all gold transactions must be conducted in Ghana’s local currency, the cedi, and priced in line with official Bank of Ghana rates.

While foreigners are now prohibited from operating within the domestic gold value chain, they can still apply for permits to purchase or off-take gold directly from GoldBod.

“It shall constitute a punishable offence for a person to purchase or deal in gold in the country without a licence issued by the new board,” GoldBod warned.

The government has earmarked $279 million for GoldBod to buy and export at least three tonnes of gold weekly, a move Finance Minister Cassel Ato Forson says will increase foreign exchange inflows and help stabilise the national currency.

However, industry players have raised concerns. Kwaku Effah Asuahene, chairman of the Chamber of Bullion Traders Ghana, told the BBC that while they support the reform, local traders should have been allowed to collaborate with foreign investors under GoldBod’s framework.

Despite not being explicitly designed to tackle illegal mining, the new policy is expected to limit the avenues through which illicitly mined gold is sold, potentially curbing the sector’s expansion.

Chinese nationals have been among the most active foreign participants in Ghana’s informal mining operations and have frequently been accused of disregarding environmental regulations.

Over 60% of Ghana’s water bodies are currently affected by pollution linked to illegal mining activities.

The gold reform marks the first major regulatory action under President Mahama’s new administration, following campaign promises to clamp down on galamsey and bring order to the gold sector.

In 2024, Ghana’s gold exports surged by 53.2% to $11.64 billion—nearly $5 billion of which came from legal small-scale miners.

Gold prices reached a record $3,200 per ounce last week amid global market uncertainties, making the stakes even higher for Ghana’s gold-dependent economy.

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The claim was made by the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a separatist Tuareg rebel alliance fighting against the Malian government in the region.

The FLA accused Malian forces and Wagner mercenaries of intercepting two passenger vehicles traveling from Gao to Algeria and killing those on board, including women and children.

Army chief Gen. Oumar Diarra dismissed the allegations as “unfounded,” calling them part of a disinformation campaign “relayed by terrorist networks, allies, and sponsors.”

For years, Mali has battled both Tuareg separatists seeking an independent state in the north and jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

After military coups in 2020 and 2021, the ruling junta hired Russian Wagner mercenaries to bolster security.

However, both Malian forces and Wagner fighters have frequently been accused by rights groups of committing atrocities against civilians, which they deny.

Last month, Mali, along with Burkina Faso and Niger—also under military rule—quit the West African regional bloc ECOWAS after rejecting demands to restore civilian governance.

The departure dealt a significant blow to the 50-year-old alliance.

Mali’s military rulers have also severed ties with former colonial power France, whose troops left in 2022 after a decade-long counterinsurgency campaign.

The following year, the junta expelled all 12,000 UN peacekeepers from the country.

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It started on Wednesday morning after members of the presidential guards surrounded the palace and reportedly held the president and his family.

The official Twitter account of the presidency revealed that the presidential guards were engaged in what was described as an “anti-Republican demonstration” and desperately sought the support of other security forces, albeit unsuccessfully.

News agencies reported that the guards had allegedly taken President Bazoum hostage inside the presidential palace in the capital city, Niamey.

However, the presidency assured the public that President Bazoum and his family were safe.

Eyewitnesses said the presidential palace, along with adjacent ministries, was surrounded and blocked off by military vehicles.

Presidential staff within the palace found themselves unable to access their offices, further highlighting the gravity of the situation.

Le Président de la République et sa famille se portent bien.
L’ Armée et la Garde Nationale sont prêtes à attaquer les éléments de la GP impliqués dans ce mouvement d’humeur s’ils ne reviennent pas à de meilleurs sentiments.

— Présidence du Niger (@PresidenceNiger) July 26, 2023

Meanwhile supporters of President Bazoum attempted to approach the presidential complex to demonstrate their allegiance. However, their efforts were met with resistance as members of the Presidential Guard fired warning shots, dispersing the crowd.

In the ensuing chaos, one individual sustained injuries, although it remained unclear if the injury resulted from a bullet or falling amid the commotion.

The African Union responded to condemn the attempted coup.

In an official statement, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairperson of the African Union Commission, expressed strong condemnation, characterizing the act as a betrayal of their republican duty by members of the military.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional bloc consisting of 15 nations, also weighed in on the situation.

ECOWAS called for President Bazoum’s immediate and unconditional release, emphasizing that all those involved in the coup attempt would be held accountable for his safety.

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Drawing on its organizational mandate and its country-level presence across Africa, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) conducted a ground-breaking study to make sense of rising constitutional manipulation and the alarming uptick in military coups in Africa. The findings are captured in a flagship new report titled Soldiers and Citizens: Military Coups and the Need for Democratic Renewal in Africa.

The report was launched in partnership with Chatham House on the margins of the 5th Mid-Year Coordination 5th Mid-Year Coordination meeting between the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms in Nairobi, Kenya held on 15 July 2023.

The research is rooted in a vast perceptions survey, which captures the views of 8,000 citizens across Africa. Among them, 5,000 lived through recent coups or unconstitutional changes of government (UCG) as defined by the 2000 Lomé Declaration on OAU response to UCG. These countries include Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan. Their views were contrasted with those of 3,000 citizens from sample countries on a path of democratic transition or consolidation, namely The Gambia, Ghana, and Tanzania. This unprecedented survey yielded a uniquely people-centered dataset to reveal insights both for preventing further coups and for harnessing opportunities for transformative change and sustained constitutional order.

Three key findings emerged prominently from the research.

The first is a preference for democracy by citizens, which culminates in a resounding call for states to deepen democracy and prioritize a reset of the social contract. The majority of citizens surveyed across both settings indicated that democracy remains their preferred style of government. In fact, only 11% of the 5,000 citizens interviewed from UCG context preferred a non-democratic form of government. Yet, for governments across Africa to build coup resilience, better governance, deeper democracy and inclusive development progress should therefore be a guiding star. A reset of the social contract is needed both to assist coup-affected states in moving forward and to help prevent future coups. To achieve this, governments should shift their focus to practical delivery that directly improves the quality of life and opportunity for all segments of society.

The second is that a development lens is essential to mitigate coup risk, as it shows how hybrid circumstances rooted in triggers, proximate and structural factors lead to coup risks. There are clear correlations between heightened coup risk and low development indicators, for instance, particularly in combination with governance deficits. Poor government performance, corruption and failure to deliver security, inclusive development gains and related opportunities create a deep appetite for change. This calls for comprehensive and integrated solutions. Instruments like the newly launched Africa Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions (AFSIT) represent a unique programmatic intervention that could contribute significantly to resolving gaps in current international and regional responses.

The third key finding highlights the risks of coups in countries with a prolonged history of military rule. The findings show that countries with a history of military governance and the close involvement of the military in political life are far more likely to experience a recurring pattern of military coups. They are also among the African countries where military spend represents the highest proportion of the state budget. These findings highlight a critical need to reset the role of the military in political life, and across wider civil-military relations.

“The report calls for a re-focus on development including good governance, human rights and access to basic services such as education and healthcare as a critical means to not only prevent coups, but also sustain peace. This is particularly crucial in regions like the Sahel, which face a heightened risk of coups. That investment will also drive game-changing progress in the 2030 Agenda and the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” says Ahunna Eziakonwa, UN Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa.

His Excellency Bola Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in a statement delivered on his behalf by Ambassador Adamu Ibrahim Lamuwa, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said “African leaders must disincentivize coups d’état” and called on “all African leaders at all levels to make concerted efforts in respecting the tenets of democracy and the rule of law, in order to ensure political stability on the continent”. Tinubu was recently elected as the Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government, the sub-regional body with a membership of 15 West African countries.

The report was produced in the context of the abovementioned new Africa Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions (AFSIT) (https://apo-opa.info/3K5jIqZ), a joint initiative of UNDP and the AU Commission to provide integrated programmatic support to countries in Africa undergoing complex political transitions.

The primary objective of AFSIT is to assist in the development of credible, inclusive, and legitimate transition roadmaps, mechanisms, and institutions, ultimately leading to the restoration and consolidation of constitutional rule, democracy and stability in relevant countries. Comprehensive and integrated responses are called upon, and instruments like AFSIT represent a unique programmatic intervention that could resolve the gaps in current international and regional responses.

Other high-level speakers at the Soldiers and Citizens report launch included Honourable Minister Dr. Mamadou Tangara, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambians Abroad, Republic of The Gambia; Hanna Tetteh, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa; H.E. Mrs. Nefértiti Mushiya Tshibanda, Permanent Representative of the Organization Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) to the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa; and Dr. Yero Baldeh, Director, Transition States Coordination Office, African Development Bank (AfDB).

The launch also featured the attendance of high-level participants from the diplomatic, development and research communities including the Permanent Representatives of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gambia, and Ghana to Ethiopia and the African Union – who are also members of the Peace and Security Council.

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The funding will support the preparation of water and sanitation investment projects in Africa, through the provision of grants and technical assistance to African countries and regional economic communities.

The African Water Facility, an initiative of the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW), is hosted by the African Development Bank. It is the only African project preparation facility solely focused on addressing water and sanitation issues in Africa.

This helps African countries achieve the objectives and targets set by the water-related Sustainable Development Goals and African Water Vision 2025. It does this by the preparation of innovative water and sanitation projects across the continent.

Access to water and sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa remains poor. Approximately 400 million people lack basic water supply services, while over 700 million people have no access to decent sanitation. Nearly 200 million people still practice open defecation, and 750 million people have no access to hygiene. Achieving water security and sanitation for all requires large-scale investment in water supply and sanitation, improved governance of water resources and operations, and the design of climate-resilient infrastructure.

Since inception, the Facility has provided €205 million in grant funding for water and sanitation projects in Africa and enabled over €1.7 billion in downstream investment in the water and sanitation sector.

“This USAID financing affirms growing international support for the African Water Facility as a trusted partner and resource for Africa’s water sector.  We thank the United States for the funding commitment that will contribute to scaling up the Facility’s work and positively impacting more people across the continent,” said Dr. Beth Dunford, African Development Bank’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development.

Under its 2022 – 2027 Strategy, USAID aims to reach 22 million people with access to safe drinking water and 22 million people with access to sanitation over five years.

The African Water Facility is raising millions of euros to develop investments that will accelerate public and private sector financing of the water sector and deployment of innovation to improve service delivery. The support from USAID comes in the lead up to its 2023 funding dialogue in Paris this October, where the facility will engage donors, beneficiary governments, multilateral and international organizations to enhance financing for water and sanitation investment projects in Africa.

“The negative impacts of inadequate access to water and sanitation and poor management of water resources are seen in many countries in Africa. The African Water Facility exists to accelerate viable, climate responsive investments by providing grants, technical assistance, and developing catalytic and innovative projects to improve water and sanitation service delivery and water governance in Africa,” Mtchera Chirwa, Coordinator for the African Water Facility, said.

The Facility’s revised Strategic Plan 2017–2025 will endeavour to mobilise resources to increase the delivery of bankable investment projects in water and sanitation across the continent. This is expected to enable access to climate-resilient and safely managed water supply for 2.6 million people and provide basic sanitation facilities to 2.4 million people.

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The flooding began on Thursday, as heavy rains caused rivers to overflow their banks, sending water and mud rushing into villages, washing away homes and ravaging farmland.

Nearly 3,000 families were left homeless, and 1,200 homes were razed, according to a U.N. agency.

People from the region had traveled to the area where the floods took place to sell their agricultural products at a market, making it harder to count the total number of the missing, rescuers said.

The floods hit the Kalehe Territory in South Kivu, an area that had welcomed thousands of displaced people from the troubled province of Nord-Kivu.

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