Burkina Faso has inaugurated its first gold refinery as the military-led government seeks to process more of the country’s mineral wealth domestically and increase state control over the gold industry.
Junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré said the facility was part of a broader effort to reduce the country’s dependence on exporting raw materials for processing abroad.
“We want to refine all our metals on site… we want to have the entire value chain on site,” Traoré said during the plant’s inauguration in Ouagadougou on Monday.
Burkina Faso is one of Africa’s major gold producers, but authorities have struggled to regulate the extensive artisanal and small-scale mining sector. Informal trading and smuggling have also made it difficult to determine how much gold is produced and exported outside official channels.
The government has alleged that illegally traded gold has, in some cases, helped finance Islamist armed groups operating in the country. The new facility, known as Raffinor-BF, cost more than 11 billion CFA francs ($19m; £14m), according to the presidency. The project was financed by the state through the National Precious Metals Company, Sonasp, in partnership with private-sector investors.
The refinery will initially have the capacity to process 164 tonnes of gold annually. Authorities say that capacity could eventually increase to 515 tonnes, potentially allowing the plant to process gold produced elsewhere in West Africa.
Mines Minister Yacouba Zabré Gouba described the inauguration as a major step towards keeping more of the value generated by the country’s mineral resources within Burkina Faso.
The opening follows wider changes to the country’s mining sector under Traoré, who came to power in a September 2022 coup. His administration established a state-owned mining company and introduced rules requiring foreign mining firms to give the state a 15% stake in their operations and provide training for local workers.
The World Gold Council reported that Burkina Faso’s gold output increased by 17% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, supported by higher production at several mines. At the same time, the authorities have sought tighter control over artisanal mining. Burkina Faso suspended exports of gold from artisanal and semi-mechanised mines in 2024, saying the measure was intended to improve regulation of the sector.
Traoré has repeatedly accused smugglers of moving large quantities of gold out of the country illegally and has linked some illicit proceeds to the financing of militant groups. The refinery is also part of a wider government drive to increase domestic processing of commodities, including cotton, textiles and food products.
Traoré has presented the strategy as part of Burkina Faso’s push for greater economic self-reliance and reduced dependence on foreign companies and former Western partners.
