Houndé Mine is a gold mine located in the city of Houndé, Burkina Faso. The mine is 90% owned by Endeavour Mining, and 10% owned by the Government of Burkina Faso.[1] According to Endeavour Mining, the Houndé Mine employs approximately 1,860 people.[1] It is the company's second-biggest gold mine, and accounted for nearly 30% of gold produced by Endeavour Mining in 2023.[2]
| Location | |
|---|---|
  Houndé Mine Location of the Houndé Mine within Burkina Faso | |
| Location | Houndé |
| Province | Tuy Province |
| Country | Burkina Faso |
| Production | |
| Products | Gold |
| History | |
| Opened | 2017 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Endeavour Mining (90%), Government of Burkina Faso (10%) |
| Website | https://www.endeavourmining.com/our-business/hound%C3%A9-mine |
History
editEndeavour Mining first purchased the land on the site of the mine in 2012, and published a feasibility study for gold mining the following year.[1]
In 2015, the government awarded Endeavour Mining a permit to begin mining, and construction on the mine began the following April.[1]
Commercial production of gold began in the fourth quarter of 2017.[1]
In May 2022, the Houndé Mine was the site of a series of violent protests.[3] Per a government spokesperson, the protests started on May 17 after the government ordered the expulsion of gold miners it said were there without permits.[3] The spokesperson said this "was not to the liking of the miners", who protested by ransacking the mine, injuring seven people and causing significant property damage.[3] The arrest of 12 of the protestors led to another violent episode on May 24, in which two protestors died, one of whom was fatally shot.[4]
Following the September 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état, Endeavour Mining stated that its work in Burkina Faso was "unaffected by recent political events".[5]
On January 21, 2024, workers at the Houndé Mine went on strike.[2] On January 30, a Burkinabé court ruled that the strike was illegal, and ordered the expulsion of the striking workers.[6] On February 1, Endeavour Mining said that work at the mine had resumed.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Houndé Mine". Endeavour Mining. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ a b Clowes, William; Hoije, Katarina (2024-01-23). "Endeavour Hit by Strike at Hounde Gold Mine in Burkina Faso". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 2024-01-23. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ a b c "Demonstrators 'Ransack' Major Burkina Faso Gold Mine". Barron's. 2022-05-18. Archived from the original on 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ "Two dead in protest over arrested Burkina gold miners". Africanews. 2022-05-26. Archived from the original on 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ "Burkina Faso miners say work continues despite coup". Reuters. 2022-10-03. Archived from the original on 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ Clowes, William; Hoije, Katarina (2024-01-31). "Endeavour Wins Ruling to End Strike at Burkina Faso Gold Mine". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ Hoije, Katarina; Clowes, William (2024-02-01). "Endeavour Says Work at Burkina Faso Gold Mine Resumed After Strike Ended". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-21.