afrol News, 8 January - Burundian authorities have arrested 18 illegal gold miners in Kibira, a natural reserve in the northern part of the country, government officials have said.

Officials said illegal miners were armed with hoes, picks and had large quantities of food, suggesting that they intended to stay in the mining area for several days, but their dreams were shot lived after they were arrested by police.

The miners are facing prosecution by the Burundian judiciary for illegal tapping of the country's natural resources.

Officials said investigations had helped to identify a network of traffickers operating in Nigeria and Zambia, through DR Congo, with accomplices in Burundi.

In 2008, the Observatory to Fight Corruption, Economic and Financial Malfeasance (OLUCOME) said some illegal gold miners had succeeded in stealing from the country some 300 tonnes of raw cassiterite and colombo-tentalite.

The Burundian sub-soil is full of many untapped minerals, including coltan, nickel, walframite and gold.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories