Senegal’s gold mining boom leads to surge in sex trafficking

For several years, the Kédougou region in the far east of Senegal has been experiencing a gold rush. This race for the precious metal has led to a proliferation of artisanal mining sites, drawing thousands of gold miners from across West Africa. But alongside the economic boom, the region has seen a surge in human trafficking. In particular, hundreds of Nigerian women are forced into prostitution at the mining sites. This exploitation is driven by extensive transnational networks whose reach spans nearly every gold mining site in West Africa and beyond. Our Senegal correspondents report.