Zambian police have dispersed over 25,000 illegal miners from a vast 120-kilometer gold-rich zone in the country’s northwest.
Authorities confiscated more than 20 vehicles, 100 scanning machines, gold detectors, and five guns during the operation in Kikonge, Mufumbwe District.
Home Affairs Minister Jack Mwiimbu revealed some seized weapons were military-grade, highlighting the miners’ heavy armament alongside their unlawful mining activities.
Mwiimbu, Defense Minister Ambrose Lufuma, and North-Western Province Minister Robert Lihefu recently toured Kikonge to assess security concerns in the volatile area.
Two miners were killed during clashes, and 11 police officers sustained injuries, with two seriously hurt officers currently hospitalized, officials confirmed.
Kikonge remains infiltrated by over 50,000 illegal miners despite the police crackdown, prompting plans for increased security reinforcements in Mufumbwe.
Defense Ministry spokesman Paul Shalala stated Lufuma explained the site is now cordoned off to prepare for formal, regulated mining operations soon.
Lufuma lamented that illegal mining causes government revenue losses and severe environmental degradation to the fragile local ecosystem.
He warned the Ministry of Defense will not tolerate lawlessness, as these activities pose grave health hazards and fuel social conflict.
The crackdown marks a determined effort to restore order and protect Zambia’s valuable mineral resources from illicit exploitation.
