By: Gold Miners Club
Accra/Dar es Salaam/Maputo/Kinshasa/Dakar – In a decisive shift that marks 2026 as a turning point for resource nationalism, a wave of African governments has launched coordinated legal and regulatory offensives against multinational mining companies. From West Africa to the East Coast, authorities are revoking licenses, issuing ultimatums for operational handovers, levying substantial fines, and even creating new paramilitary forces to secure mineral wealth against smuggling and rebel exploitation.
This continent-wide enforcement action signals the end of an era where international firms could operate with impunity, as host nations aggressively leverage rising commodity prices to reclaim value and enforce environmental and fiscal discipline.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Audits, Paramilitary Guards, and the Battle Against “Conflict Minerals”
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), home to some of the world’s richest deposits of cobalt, copper, lithium, and coltan, has launched a two-pronged offensive: cracking down on corruption at the state level while physically securing mines from armed groups.
In late April, President Félix Tshisekedi ordered authorities to conduct a full review of mineral export earnings within 30 days, aimed at uncovering unpaid revenues and weaknesses in mining agreements. As part of the crackdown, Tshisekedi instructed that customs, ports, the central bank, and commercial banks be fully interconnected to create a single traceable system for all mineral exports and imports. The move comes as critics have long highlighted issues of weak governance and corruption in a sector that has struggled to reduce widespread poverty despite the country’s abundant resources. At the same time, the government announced the creation of a paramilitary mining guard, a $100 million initiative backed by the United States and the United Arab Emirates, to improve security and oversight of mining operations, according to the Associated Press. The General Inspectorate of Mines (IGM) revealed that the unit will eventually comprise over 20,000 personnel covering all 22 mining provinces, tasked with securing mining sites and escorting mineral shipments.
Inspector General of Mines Rafael Kabengele stated: “The will of the President of the Republic is to clean up the entire mining sector, by eliminating practices that run counter to good governance, transparency and the traceability of minerals.”
The urgency is underscored by conflict in the mineral-rich east. In February 2026, a landslide at the Rubaya mine in North Kivu—a site under the control of the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group—killed at least 200 artisanal miners. The DRC government blamed “industrial-scale pillage” orchestrated by Rwanda and M23, alleging that 112 to 125 tonnes of coltan are extracted monthly from Rubaya and channelled exclusively to Rwanda. Kinshasa also noted a more than 200% increase in Rwanda’s coltan exports as evidence of “fraudulent laundering of Congolese minerals.”
Senegal: Revoking 71 Licenses and Seizing a Chemical Giant
Senegal has launched what analysts describe as one of the most significant regulatory interventions in West Africa’s extractive sector. In mid-March, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko announced the revocation of 71 mining and quarry licenses, including 14 gold permits, accusing holders of failing to meet investment commitments and regulatory requirements.
More dramatically, the government moved to freeze the accounts of Industries Chimiques du Sénégal (ICS) , a phosphate and fertiliser producer controlled by Singapore’s Indorama Corporation. According to Sonko, the company’s failure to meet tax and royalty obligations between 2014 and 2026 has cost the state an estimated 1,075 billion CFA francs ($1.88 billion) .
Sonko described the losses as resulting from “non-payment of taxes, undue customs exemptions and benefits granted without any legal basis.” The government has declared it will not renew ICS’s concessions, seeking “much more serious” partners for future licenses.
These reforms extend beyond mining, with Sonko also calling existing gas contracts with BP “unfair.” However, Kosmos Energy has stated that, according to confirmation with Senegal’s Ministry of Energy, there are no plans to nationalise the Yakaar-Teranga gas project.
Ghana: Revocation and Localisation
The most dramatic actions have unfolded in Ghana, Africa’s leading gold producer. In late April, the government of President Nana Akufo-Addo took the unprecedented step of revoking the mining leases of Adamus Resources Limited for its Akango, Salman, and Nkroful concessions. Following a detailed investigation by the Minerals Commission, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources cited “widespread illegal and unauthorised mining activities,” including the allowance of foreign nationals—specifically Chinese operators—to engage in illegal “galamsey” mining on the site.
Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, stated that the violations were severe and deliberate, warranting immediate revocation “in the public interest” due to significant environmental damage and risks to water bodies. Adamus Resources has defended its record by releasing an arrest tracker that shows 26 suspects were apprehended on its concessions between January and April 2026, aiming to demonstrate efforts against illegal mining. However, according to a report from Modern Ghana, the Government of Ghana revoked Adamus Resources Limited’s mining leases, citing serious and deliberate violations of the country’s mining laws. At the same time, Accra has set a binding December 2026 deadline for major mining companies Newmont, AngloGold Ashanti, and Chinese-owned Zijin to transition their operations. Rity-Ghanaian local contractors. Under the revised local content rules, surface mining must now be handled by 100% Ghanaian firms.
According to letters seen by Reuters, the Minerals Commission rejected the companies’ requests for extensions. A government official warned of severe consequences for non-compliance: “They face a huge fine for the first step. If they still don’t comply, we have the right to shut down the mine.”
Mozambique: Fine and Operational Moratorium
In Mozambique, the National Environmental Quality Control Agency (AQUA) has issued a 21 million meticais ($328,600) fine against mining firm Ecogems. The company was also slapped with a rare 48-month operational moratorium for operating an unlicensed gold mine in the Lalaua district of Nampula province. Authorities found the firm had bypassed mandatory environmental impact assessments and failed to properly compensate displaced residents, signalling a hardline stance on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) compliance.
Tanzania: Revocations and Technology Deployment
Tanzania is also tightening the screws, focusing on speculative hoarding of resources. Minister for Minerals Anthony Mavunde ordered the revocation of 40 mineral exploration licences, accusing holders of “negligence” and failing to develop the blocks. Furthermore, Dar es Salaam announced plans to deploy advanced technology—including helmets with specialised cameras for inspectors—to combat smuggling in the lucrative tanzanite trade.
A Continental Trend: Resources for Local Development
Legal experts note that these moves are not isolated incidents but a coordinated shift in the political landscape of African mining. Edward James, a mining compliance expert at Pinsent Masons, told Out-Law that the developments “reflect a broader continental trend in which governments are reassessing mining frameworks to secure a greater share of value for local stakeholders.”
Senegal’s actions mirror similar campaigns launched across West Africa: Guinea revoked more than 100 mining licenses last year, Mali withdrew over 90 exploration permits, and Niger has moved to regain control of uranium operations from French company Orano. The continent’s message in 2026 is unequivocal: regulatory bodies are moving from issuing warnings to wielding the hammer of license revocation, criminal prosecution, and even paramilitary enforcement—forcing mining houses to choose between strict compliance or expulsion.
NEWS References
Democratic Republic of Congo
- Channel Africa. (2026, April 28). DRC President orders mining audit to curb corruption. Johannesburg. [Cited: President Tshisekedi’s 30-day audit order, bank interconnection]
- Al Jazeera. (2026, April 27). DR Congo to establish US-backed paramilitary guard for mines. Doha. [Cited: $100 million program, 20,000 personnel by 2028, Rafael Kabengele statement]
- Channel Africa. (2026, April 27). *DRC launches $100 million US-backed mining guard to secure sites*. Johannesburg. [Cited: First contingent operational December 2026]
- Sputnik Africa. (2026, February 2). *Rubaya Mine Collapse: DRC Gov’t Blames Rwanda & M23 for ‘Industrial-Scale Pillage’*. [Cited: 200+ deaths, 112-125 tonnes coltan monthly to Rwanda, 200% increase in Rwandan coltan exports]
- Oakland Institute. (2026, March 10). Peace in DRC Requires More than Symbolic US Sanctions on Rwanda. [Cited: US sanctions on Rwanda Defence Force, continued mineral deals with Rwanda-linked firms]
Senegal
- Stockstar (citing Africa Briefing). (2026, March 17). Senegal Revokes 71 Mining Licenses (translated from Chinese). Beijing. [Cited: CFA 1,075 billion loss estimate, account freezes]
- African News Agency. (2026, March 18). BRICS+ Series: Senegal’s ICS seizure: Sovereignty with receipts, or a warning shot that misses?. [Cited: Detailed breakdown of $1.88 billion loss, President Faye’s 2024 contract review]
- Ecofin Agency. (2026, March 16). Senegal Moves to Clean Up Mining Sector, Joining West African Reform Trend. [Cited: 71 licenses including 14 gold permits, comparison with Guinea/Mali/Niger, 132% debt-to-GDP ratio]
- Or Noir Africa. (2026, March 17). Senegal Revokes 71 Mining Licences and Steps Up Its Reform Efforts. [Cited: ICS tax arrears, future licenses to “much more serious” partners]
- Africa Press. (2026, March 12). Senegal PM Announces Review of Energy and Mining Contracts. [Cited: BP contract “unfair,” Yakaar-Teranga nationalization, €380 million owed]
Ghana
- Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Republic of Ghana. (2026, April 24). Press Release: Revocation of Mining Leases of Adamus Resources Limited. Accra. [Cited: Minister Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah on “public interest” and environmental damage]
- Reuters. (2026, April 15). Exclusive: Ghana gives Newmont, AngloGold, Zijin deadline to use local contractors. Dakar/Accra. [Cited: Letters from Minerals Commission and government warning on fines and shutdown]
- Adamus Resources Limited. (2026, April 28). Statement on Concession Activities and Illegal Mining Arrests. Accra. [Cited: Arrest tracker January–April 2026]
Mozambique
- Agência de Informação de Moçambique (AIM). (2026, March 10). Ecogems Fined 21 Million Meticais for Illegal Gold Mining in Nampula. Maputo. [Cited: AQUA action, 48-month moratorium]
Tanzania
- The Citizen (Tanzania). (2026, February 18). Tanzania revokes 40 exploration licences, deploys camera helmets to curb tanzanite smuggling.