Several residents of Badakhshan are warning about the continued deaths of miners in the province. They say that only a small number of local people are involved in mining activities, and even they are forced to pay bribes to the Taliban. According to these residents, numerous tunnels have been dug in different parts of Badakhshan in the mountains in search of gold. They state that tunnel collapses and disputes among the Taliban over gold extraction have so far claimed many lives. They add that Badakhshan’s gold is being extracted by Chinese and Turkish companies, as well as the Taliban from the provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, without observing internationally accepted standards. In their view, a significant portion of the revenue from these mines goes into the pockets of Taliban officials, including Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the Taliban’s Minister of Defense, and Abdul Ghani Baradar, the group’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, as well as Chinese companies. Meanwhile, several environmental experts, expressing concern over excessive and unregulated mining, warn that the continuation of this trend could lead to the destruction of ecological layers and serious environmental damage.
Obaidullah (pseudonym), a resident of Badakhshan, expresses concern over the deaths of people in the province during gold mining operations. He says that many tunnels have been dug in different parts of Badakhshan inside the mountains to find gold, which sometimes collapse, trapping miners inside and causing them to lose their lives.
This resident of Badakhshan adds, “Unfortunately, every year, many people lose their lives during gold mining in Badakhshan. I do not remember the exact number, but it is very high. The recent incident in which three people died under the rubble of mines in Shahr-e Buzur,g and was reported, is only a small and insignificant part of this issue. In different parts of Badakhshan, numerous tunnels have been dug inside the mountains to find gold, which sometimes collapse, trapping workers and leading to their deaths. The owners of these tunnels mostly hire poor individuals to work inside, and due to the risks involved, they themselves do not enter the tunnels.”
Obaidullah says: “In the gold mines of Badakhshan, most activities are carried out by Chinese companies and domestic companies that are often directly or indirectly linked to Taliban officials. Local people do not have access to the mines and are mostly employed by these companies as laborers. The number of people from Badakhshan who actually own mines is very small, and even they cannot operate unless they collaborate with companies and Taliban officials or pay bribes. Some local individuals in areas that do not even have significant gold reserves, when they begin extraction work, are not allowed to operate until they pay a fixed share or cash bribe to local Taliban officials. This situation has made people reluctant to invest in gold mining.”
Mateen (pseudonym), another resident of Badakhshan, says that dozens of people have been killed as a result of unregulated gold mining and internal conflicts among the Taliban in the province. According to him, Badakhshan’s gold is extracted by Chinese and Turkish companies, as well as by the Taliban from the provinces of Helmand and Kandahar.
This resident adds: “As a result of mining activities in Badakhshan, many people have so far lost their lives. There are still no exact statistics, but the number of victims is higher than what is reported. These casualties are due to unregulated mining and ongoing conflicts that continue daily. Mining in Badakhshan is mostly carried out by Taliban officials who coordinate with Chinese entities, and most of them are from the provinces of Helmand, Kandahar, and Logar. Gold extraction projects are mostly related to Chinese and Turkish companies.”
Criticizing the situation, Mateen adds: “Excessive mining has caused serious environmental damage and has pushed Badakhshan toward desertification. From deforestation to the destruction of grasslands, all of this has gradually turned the province into a desert. The revenue from these mines goes into the pockets of Taliban officials, including Mullah Yaqoob, the Taliban’s Minister of Defense, and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the group’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, and a large portion also goes to Chinese companies.”
Meanwhile, Sayed Shah Goharpour, an environmental expert, has warned about excessive and unregulated mining, saying that the situation could lead to the destruction of ecological layers.
Mr. Goharpour says: “Excessive mining is one of the biggest challenges currently taking place in Afghanistan and has raised serious concerns. This process can lead to the destruction of ecological layers, increase soil erosion, intensify desertification, raise the likelihood of natural disasters, and eliminate green cover. This situation not only results in environmental degradation but also causes further pollution of water systems, reduces food security, and leads to human and financial losses.” According to him, to reduce the risks associated with mining, awareness must be raised among those working in this sector, and advanced technologies should be used.
The environmental expert further adds, “As a first step, environmental assessments must be taken into account. Awareness should be provided to those working in mining projects, and advanced technologies should be used in the extraction process. Additionally, a portion of the revenue from mining should be invested in building dams and developing renewable energy.”
It is worth noting that after regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have widely expanded the extraction of the country’s mines.
Previously, sources told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that gold miners have destroyed lands and altered the course of the Amu and Kokcha rivers in Badakhshan.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
