By SUNNY ABBA, Abuja
Women in Mining Africa (WiM-Africa) says Silent 15 of Bilalikoto is not only a memorial, but also a call for urgent, coordinated action to address systemic failures in mining safety, formalisation, and accountability.
This is as it joins the international community in marking the first anniversary of the tragic incident that occurred on 15th February, 2025 in Mali in honour of fallen – an annual continental day of remembrance dedicated to women who have lost their lives in mining accidents across Africa, with particular focus on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM).
The observance commemorates the tragic deaths of more than 48 artisanal miners most especially women miners who lost their lives in a mine collapse in Bilalikoto, Mali, on 15 February 2025, while working to support their families, and by extension all others that met the same fate across the continent.
The Bilalikoto deaths reflect a broader and recurring pattern of preventable mining tragedies affecting women across multiple African countries.
Across Africa, women in ASM continue to operate in hazardous conditions, often outside legal frameworks, without adequate training, protective equipment, emergency response systems, or social protection.
WiM-Africa emphasises that these deaths are not isolated accidents but symptoms of deeper structural challenges: weak enforcement of safety regulations, limited investment in formalisation of ASM, lack of gender-responsive mining policies, and opaque mineral supply chains that disconnect buyers from conditions at mine sites.
Similar incidents, it recalled, have been recorded across the continent. In Obuasi, Ghana, dozens of artisanal miners were killed in mine collapses linked to unsafe underground workings.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, repeated collapses in artisanal cobalt and copper sites in Katanga have claimed many lives, including women working informally.
In Zimbabwe, mine collapses in Gwanda and Mashonaland West have resulted in multiple fatalities among informal miners. In Nigeria, collapses in states such as Zamfara, Niger, and Benue have exposed critical gaps in mine safety oversight. In Kenya, recent gold mine collapses in Siaya County have killed women miners, underscoring the regional nature of the crisis.
The organisation calls on African Union institutions, national and local governments, mining companies, mineral buyers, development partners, and civil society to prioritise safety as a core pillar of mining governance.
According to a statement made available to the media courtesy of WiM-Africa, measures that must be taken towards ensuring safety for ASMers, especially the women, include formalising artisanal mining, enforcing safety standards; ensuring compensation for families of deceased miners in line with international practice; strengthening traceability and accountability; and integrating women meaningfully into decision-making processes.
“As Africa positions itself as a key supplier of minerals critical to global development and the energy transition, it cannot ignore the human cost at the source,” WiM-Africa stated. “Women should not lose their lives extracting resources that fuel global economies.
“Silent 15 of Bilalikoto stands as a continental reminder that remembrance must be matched with reform—and that the future of Africa’s mining sector must be built on safety, dignity, and justice for those who work within it,” WiM-Africa said.