Burkina Faso President Challenges Western Mining Giant, Nationalizes Gold Mine

Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traore's surprise visit to the Bissa gold mine has sparked a major confrontation with the French Canadian NordEx Mining consortium. Traore directly questioned the company's payments to the government, leading to a tense exchange. "The amount you'll pay is now zero," Traore stated, according to the video. NordEx Mining, which has operated the mine for nearly four decades, responded by highlighting its employment of over 1,200 local workers and investments of €430 million in infrastructure since 2008. The video shows the vast scale of the open-pit mine, contrasting the industrial machinery with the smaller figures of the workers. The incident culminated in the nationalization of the mine, a significant event with implications for foreign investment and resource control in the region. The bold move by President Traore underscores the growing assertiveness of some African nations in managing their natural resources.