Enjeux territoriaux et éthiques de la régulation de la ruée vers l’or au nord du Niger

Abstract

Based on field surveys, this article focuses on the current phase of evolution of the gold rush in northern Niger. It is characterised by the state's desire to provide a better legal framework to an activity that was previously informal in the peripheral areas of the country. The intervention of the state is resulting in territorial recompositions, a convergence of political and economic interests between the elites of the gold mining peripheries and the central government, as well as ethical conflicts over access to the deposits and the distribution of profits. The new balance within the management of the informal sector is making gold miners turn to regularization or precariousness, or even criminalization. The pursuit of illegal activities is due to issues regarding land appropriation and the conditions of mobility.

Keywords

• illegalism
• gold rush
• artisanal mining
• small-scale mining
• Sahara
• Niger