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Jarrod Lucas

Deadly attack has Australian miners reassessing 'deteriorating' security at West African mine

Workers at the Boungou mine in Burkina Faso after its maiden gold pour last year.

A group representing Australian mining companies working in the West African nation of Burkina Faso admits the security situation has "deteriorated" and it is concerned foreign workers are increasingly becoming a target.

A Perth-based mining services company with workers at the Canadian-owned the Boungou mine has confirmed none of its Australian staff were killed or injured in a deadly attack on a convoy yesterday.

Regional government officials say 37 civilians were killed and more than 60 wounded when gunmen ambushed the convoy of five buses.

They reportedly bombed the military escort before opening fire on the buses carrying mine workers.

Perth-based contractor, Perenti, has released a statement to the ASX saying it is still trying to find out what has happened to members of its workforce from African Mining Services.

The Canadian mine owner, Semafo, said the site, near the Mali border, is secure and operations are not affected.

It tightened security last year after conflicts between the military and Islamist insurgents near its mines, and now transports all expat employees by helicopter.

Aussie miners a force in Africa

Burkina Faso is one of the fastest-growing gold-mining regions in Africa, with 14 commercial gold mines built in the past 14 years.

Bill Witham, the CEO of the Australia-Africa Minerals and Energy Group, the peak body representing companies engaged in the development of Africa's resource industry, said the situation is being closely monitored.

"The security situation in West Africa, especially in Burkina Faso, has been deteriorating over the last year or so," Mr Witham told the ABC.

"We convened a security conference in Ghana earlier this year which was organised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and there was a lot of talk about practical ways of dealing with the risk."

Between 15 to 20 Australian companies are operating in Burkina Faso and about 100 Australian citizens are in the country at any given time, according to Mr Witham.

Mining camps in Burkina Faso are typically surrounded by barbed-wire perimeter fencing and armed guards.

"I would say that everybody seems to be a target," Mr Witham said.

"Most of the workforces there are over 90 per cent local people, and this latest incident has targeted mainly locals on the ground.

"I would say up to now they haven't really been targeting the mining industry, they've been targeted defence and police personnel.

"It is concerning that they are now attacking convoys associated with mines.

"I think their main purpose is to scare people away from those mines."

Geologist's murder a 'wake-up call'

The latest incident is the third attack on convoys to the Boungou mine since it poured its first gold bar in June last year.

In January, Canadian geologist Kirk Woodman was kidnapped from an exploration camp at Tiabongou, near the town of Mansila.

His body was found two days later.

Mr Woodman had spent more than 20 years in West Africa and was working for Canadian company Progress Minerals, which is in a joint venture with Perth-based explorer Predictive Discovery.

His murder was described as a "wake-up call for expats" working in Burkina Faso by one of his former colleagues who spoke to the ABC on condition of anonymity.

In December, five people were killed on the road to the Boungou mine after government security forces were attacked.

It followed two separate attacks on convoys travelling to Semafo's Mana mine and Boungou in August, which killed eight people, including five gendarmes.

Huge investment in region

Perth-based West African Resources said its operations had not been affected.

The company is developing the $269 million ($US185 million) Sanbrado gold mine in south-central Burkina Faso, which is close to military installations in an area considered more stable.

Sanbrado is expected to produce first gold in mid-2020 and employ close to 400 workers.

Peter Ledwidge, the managing director of Brisbane-based exploration company Mako Gold, said the company's only foreign worker in Burkina Faso is safe.

Another Perth-based gold explorer, Middle Island Resources, has just completed the sale of its assets in Burkina Faso.

Managing director Rick Yeates said the decision to exit Africa 18 months ago was to focus on projects in Western Australia and not due to security fears, although he admitted security had deteriorated.

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