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Accepted Paper:
The experts from the north. Burkinabe gold miners in northern Ghana between mobility, specialization and technological innovation.
Cristiano Lanzano
(The Nordic Africa Institute (Uppsala, Sweden))
Migration across the northern border of Ghana remains important, fueled by the expansion of artisanal gold mining. Burkinabe migrant miners to Ghana specialize in cyanide-based processing of tailings: their work is characterized by mobility, economic specialization and technological innovation.
Paper Abstract:
In recent years, the northern border of Ghana has raised concern because of violent incidents and political turmoil in neighboring Burkina Faso, amidst fears that insecurity could spread and escalate existing tensions in northern Ghana. Yet, migration between the two countries has a consolidated history, and Burkinabe (Mossi) presence is visible in the 'zongos' (ethnic neighborhoods) of many Ghanaian cities.
A recent factor contributing to cross-border mobility has been the intensification of artisanal gold mining in both countries. Burkinabe migrant miners to Ghana, in particular, have specialized in cyanide-based processing of mineral tailings and leftovers. Navigating the challenges and restrictions to mobility, travelling between the two countries to buy chemicals, sell gold, invest their profits or simply visiting their families, these miners and technicians are the essential human infrastructure of a geographically dispersed and largely informal supply chain. This paper aims to present the first results of an ongoing work on Burkinabe miners in northern Ghana, focusing on the dynamics of mobility, economic specialization and technological innovation that characterize their work.