Senegal Gold Mining & Sex Trafficking Surge
- A gold rush in Senegal's Kédougou region is attracting thousands of gold miners from across West Africa, but it has also led to a surge in human trafficking.
- Hundreds of Nigerian women are being forced into prostitution at these sites.
- Efforts to combat human trafficking in the region will likely intensify, focusing on disrupting transnational networks and providing support to victims.
senegal Gold Rush Fuels Human Trafficking of Nigerian Women
Updated June 04, 2025
A gold rush in Senegal’s Kédougou region is attracting thousands of gold miners from across West Africa, but it has also led to a surge in human trafficking. The artisanal mining sites, while providing economic opportunities, have become hubs for exploitation.
Hundreds of Nigerian women are being forced into prostitution at these sites. Extensive transnational networks are responsible for this exploitation, reaching across nearly every gold mining location in West Africa and beyond.The Senegal gold rush, therefore, presents a complex challenge, intertwining economic prosperity with severe human rights abuses.
What’s next
Efforts to combat human trafficking in the region will likely intensify, focusing on disrupting transnational networks and providing support to victims. Increased international cooperation may be necesary to address the scope of the problem effectively.