Burkina Faso has opened 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 mining sector.
The Raffinor-BF refinery in Ouagadougou was inaugurated by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who said the project would help Burkina Faso develop its own mineral value chain rather than exporting raw materials for processing abroad.
Key developments:
- The refinery, costing more than 11bn CFA francs ($19m; £14m), will initially process up to 164 tonnes of gold annually.
- The government aims to expand capacity to 515 tonnes, potentially serving regional markets.
- Mines Minister Yacouba Zabré Gouba said the project would increase local economic benefits from gold production.
- Burkina Faso’s gold output rose by 17% year-on-year in Q2 2026, according to the World Gold Council.
The refinery is part of Traoré’s broader economic agenda focused on domestic processing, resource sovereignty and reducing dependence on foreign companies.
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