No mineral worth a human life, says Alake after CAR mine deaths

The African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) has called for urgent action to prevent unsafe mining practices following the deaths of more than 100 artisanal miners in Zamboye, Central African Republic.

The miners were killed when an artisanal gold-mining site in western CAR, near the Cameroon border, collapsed following a landslide on Tuesday. Rescue operations have continued, with several people reportedly still missing or trapped under the rubble.

Reacting to the tragedy, Chairman of AMSG, Dele Alake, described the incident as a “profound tragedy” that should trouble the conscience of Africa.

Alake, in a statement issued by the group, expressed condolences to the Government and people of the Central African Republic, particularly the families who lost loved ones.

He said the victims were not merely statistics, but “brothers, fathers, uncles, sons and indeed, breadwinners,” stressing that the disaster should compel African countries to confront the dangers associated with illegal and unregulated mining.

According to him, illegal mining deprives governments of legitimate revenues, damages the environment and facilitates illicit mineral trafficking, while also exposing miners to life-threatening conditions.

“This tragedy is again, a painful reminder that behind every statistic about illegal mining are human beings—young men and women trying to earn a living, support their families and escape poverty,” he said.

Alake stressed that no mineral was valuable enough to justify the loss of a human life.

He called for a balanced approach to artisanal and small-scale mining, urging governments to enforce laws against illegal mining and criminal networks while creating opportunities for artisanal miners to operate legally, safely and productively.

The AMSG chairman said the group would continue to advocate a continental approach focused on stronger regulation, improved mine-safety standards and responsible formalisation of artisanal and small-scale mining.

He also called for greater protection of mining communities and policies that would ensure Africa’s mineral wealth creates decent livelihoods rather than preventable deaths.

The collapse has renewed concerns about safety in the Central African Republic’s artisanal mining sector, where thousands depend on small-scale extraction despite weak regulation and inadequate safety measures. Authorities have opened an investigation into the disaster.

Alake warned that the Zamboye tragedy must not become another disaster remembered only through condolences.

“This tragedy must not become another statistic that we mourn today and forget tomorrow,” he said.

“Africa’s mineral revolution must be a revolution that values both the mineral beneath our soil and the human life above it.

“We owe the victims of Zamboye more than our condolences. We owe them action.”