Burkina Faso’s junta has halted export permits for gold and other minerals from small-scale and semi-mechanized miners to address a decline in production and to reorganize the sector. Gold is the country’s primary export and revenue source, with production dropping by 4% to 41.9 tons in the first nine months of 2023, following a 13% decrease to 58.2 tons in 2022. Burkina Faso, along with Mali and Niger, are among Africa’s largest gold producers.