In the ‘Wild West’ of Illegal Gold Mining, Canadian Firms Hold Claims in Tigray

In the Tigray region of Ethiopia, a postwar gold rush has caused devastation and conflict. The Globe and Mail, along with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, delved into the situation and discovered that Canadian-licensed sites are central to the problem, with connections to Beijing. Military checkpoints in Tigray control access to the area, with soldiers barring entry to unauthorized individuals. Reports revealed that Chinese nationals, accompanied by interpreters and armed men, had access to forbidden gold mines in the region. Among the licensed mining sites are Mato Bula and Da Tambuk, both of which were used for illegal operations following a postwar gold rush in Tigray. Canadian companies hold the majority of foreign mining licenses in the region, contributing to the clash between legal and illicit mining activities.