World

Why West Africa’s gold refineries will not deliver sovereignty

Last month, Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traore inaugurated the country’s first national gold refinery, Raffinor-BF in Ouagadougou, with a promise to bring gold processing under government control. The plant’s first phase is designed to refine 164 tonnes annually, with a planned expansion to 515 tonnes. Burkina Faso reported 94 tonnes of total gold output in 2025, including industrial and artisanal production, and gold seized by the state. Initial refinery capacity is roughly 1.7 times the cou