VZCZCXRO7312
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #0502/01 1871310
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061310Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5169
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NIAMEY 000502 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, G/TIP, AND DRL/EA 
PLS PASS TO USAID FOR AFR/W 
ACCRA ALSO FOR USAID/WA 
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB KTIP PGOV PHUM EMIN SOCI EAID NG
SUBJECT: Niger: Child Labor in Gold Mining Operations 
 
NIAMEY 00000502  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  On June 25, Embassy officials visited three artisanal 
gold mines in Tillabery region, 100 km outside of Niamey.  The 
visit, organized by the ILO's International Program for the 
Elimination of Child Labor (ILO/IPEC), evaluated gold mining sites 
in Niger that are notorious for exploiting some of the worst forms 
of child labor.  The Government of Niger (GON) and several NGOs have 
made noticeable investments in both infrastructure and social 
programs to combat the problem of child labor.  While the USG has 
assisted in the construction of schools, increased efforts on the 
part of all development partners is needed to address effectively 
the worst forms of child labor in Niger.  End summary. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Gold Mining:  Primary Means of Survival 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. On June 25, Embassy Officials visited three artisanal gold mines 
northwest of Niamey:  Kongo Moussa (75 kilometers), M'Banga (95 
kilometers), and Komabangou (175 kilometers).  The fact-finding trip 
allowed two newly-arrived embassy officials on the 3-person 
fact-finding team to gain a first-hand perspective on gold mine 
operations and to monitor efforts undertaken by the GON to combat 
child labor and promote education in the region.  Embassy officers 
were accompanied by members of the ILO's International Program for 
the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO/IPEC) team.  To date, the ILO 
has concerted much of its energy to combat the problem of child 
labor through sensitization programs and promoting primary school 
education.  Embassy officials visited sites where ILO/IPEC works in 
conjunction with local communities to rescue children from mine work 
and enroll them into school.  Like some other communities in Niger, 
mining operations are the means of survival.  When asked about 
profit from gold mining activities, many responded, "it depends, we 
don't really know how much we make."  Oftentimes, parents force 
their children to work, instead of sending them to school. 
 
-------------------------- 
State of Gold Mining Sites 
-------------------------- 
 
¶3. All of the mining sites that Embassy officials visited are 
located in the region of Tillabery, regarded as one the poorest 
regions in Niger.  To reach these mines, one must travel in some 
cases hundreds of kilometers across the savanna and along dirt 
roads, stopping occasionally to cross river beds before arriving at 
a given site.  Embassy officials noticed that the majority of 
workers live in temporary housing several hundreds of feet away from 
the mines where they often work 10-hour days.  The communities of 
the three sites visited - Kongo Moussa, M'Banga, and Komabangou - 
appeared to be sparsely developed.  The discovery of new sites has 
motivated some workers to relocate and others have left to work on 
farms due to the start of the rainy season.  For the latter, they 
will not return to mining until the end of the rainy season in late 
September.  Even though continuing mining operations during the 
rainy season is extremely hazardous, many workers have continued the 
work, hoping to capitalize in some way. 
 
----------------------------- 
Plenty of Risk, Little Reward 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4. Gold mining and artisanal operations at the various sites are 
similar in nature.  Unlike industrialized mining sites, operations 
at these sites are simple, yet time consuming and very dangerous. 
Lack of electricity and motorized machinery requires all mining 
operations to be completed manually.  These vertical shafts are 
excavated using picks and shovels.  The extracted material is then 
removed with buckets and plastic sacks.  Digging in these shafts is 
one of the most physically demanding jobs that embassy officials 
witnessed.  Workers often dig for two hours non-stop before 
returning to ground level.  Furthermore, the risk of falling blocks 
or the collapse of the shaft itself is high.  The shafts are usually 
reinforced by bamboo and/or wood.  Moreover, there is no ventilation 
system, which increases the risk of suffocation for workers.  The 
maximum depth allowed by the authorities for the open-pit method is 
10 meters.  However, many sites contained shafts with depths well 
over 10 meters, usually 1.5-2 meters in width.  While there was no 
way to obtain an exact measurement of the shafts' depth, Embassy 
officials suspect some shafts may have extended as deep as 30 
meters. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Gold Mining Takes a Physical Toll on Workers 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. The process of acquiring gold usually requires several 
operations, usually involving crushing, grinding and sifting dirt 
 
NIAMEY 00000502  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
and rock before the gold can be panned.  Gold mining is not 
discriminatory in nature:  men, women and children all work 
side-by-side in this arduous operation.  Quartz blocks are placed 
into a large hollow stone and smashed using a heavy metal pestle to 
produce pieces that are 2-3 centimeters in diameter pieces for 
subsequent grounding into smaller pieces.  This powder is then 
shifted to separate the fine particles from the large pieces.  When 
asked how long they performed this process, most responded that they 
remained in a sedentary position for hours on end.  At these 
particular sites, gold is concentrated by panning or vanning. 
Panning is the process of washing the ore manually, while vanning is 
performed by using pans or plates to sift for the gold. 
 
----------------------------- 
Performance Determines Salary 
----------------------------- 
 
¶6. Salary is not fixed; it is determined by the amount of gold that 
workers find.  When Embassy officials pressed workers for numbers, 
they were told that workers often earn 1/4 or less of the selling 
price for the quantity of gold that they find.  For example, if 1 
gram of gold sells for around 12 thousand CFA francs (approximately 
25 US Dollars) in Niamey, then the maximum the workers would receive 
is three thousand CFA francs (approximately 6.50 US Dollars). 
However, this sum is then split among the entire team of workers who 
contributed in the gold processing.  The uncertainties of receiving 
pay is common, and most workers admit that they can earn anywhere 
from nothing to 1 million CFA francs (approximately 2150 US 
Dollars)per month. (Note: Current exchange rate: 1 USD = 465 FCFA. 
End note.) 
 
----------------------- 
Evidence of Child Labor 
----------------------- 
 
¶7. Child labor was evident at all sites.  According to government 
officials, children under the age of 18 are prohibited from digging 
in the shafts.  In addition, they are discouraged from crushing, 
grinding and participating in any other form of arduous labor. 
Embassy officials, however, noticed children performing such tasks 
at all sites.  Children were seen walking around the shafts areas 
covered in dirt, an indication that they were indeed descending into 
these deep shafts that were in some cases as deep as 30 meters. 
Embassy officials asked the children their age, and the general 
response was 12-15 (Note:  Children looked no older than 10, though 
stunted growth is prevalent in Niger. End note.)  At the Komabangou 
site, there were reports of prostitution among girls as young as 12 
years old. 
 
¶8. Several thousand children are estimated to work at the various 
sites:  Kongo Moussa has an estimated 2,000 employed children; 
M'Banga has an estimated 5,000 employed children; and Komabangou 
village figures seem much higher, but officials were unable to give 
an accurate number.  ILO officials noted that the government was 
conducting a survey on children's situation in most of the villages, 
with results expected in the coming weeks. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Efforts Made to Protect Children 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶9. The GON, in partnership with the International Labor Organization 
(ILO) and World Vision, has made substantial efforts to promote 
education in these mining regions, notorious for employing children. 
 Kongo Moussa, M'Banga, and Komabangou are examples of sites where 
efforts made by the GON have enabled children to attend school and 
enroll in various literacy programs.  In many cases, NGOs such as 
World Vision finance and oversee the construction of schools, and 
the GON is responsible for providing teachers. 
 
--------------------- 
More Resources Needed 
--------------------- 
 
¶10. Village council members and parents requested more assistance. 
In particular, they mentioned the need for a "school canteen," i.e., 
a food and accommodation program for children who live very far from 
the schools and those without a home.  They also requested the 
construction of more classrooms and wells for clean drinking water. 
Parents at the M'Banga site stated that there used to be 604 
enrolled students; however because students at times needed to walk 
15 kilometers to return home from school, many stopped coming to 
class.  Most administrators believe that with the addition of a 
canteen, students would once again attend school, because they would 
no longer have to walk several kilometers to get something to eat. 
 
 
NIAMEY 00000502  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
------------------------------ 
Health Risks Not Taken Lightly 
------------------------------ 
 
¶11. Parents and administrators alike acknowledged the inherent 
dangers that come with working in such dire conditions.  Many 
emphasized the need for a medical clinic.  Embassy officials noted 
that there are very few medical facilities in the area, and many 
lack sufficient medical supplies and personnel to treat such a 
variety of illnesses and conditions.  Furthermore, access to the 
villages surrounding these sites is difficult, usually via dirt 
roads that can take hours to reach. 
 
ALLEN