Polisario expels 100 gold prospectors from area east of Sand Wall

On Sunday, October 19, armed elements of the Polisario Front expelled around a hundred gold prospectors from the Karzaze region, located east of the Sand Wall, near the Mauritanian border. During this operation, the equipment of the prospectors, who were mostly Mauritanians and Sudanese, was also seized, reports a media outlet based in Zouerate.

This incident comes five weeks after the Polisario militias abducted several Mauritanian gold prospectors in the El Malhate region, even though it lies within Mauritanian territory.

The presence of gold prospectors east of the Sand Wall is a concern for the senior officials of the separatist movement, particularly those close to Brahim Ghali, who are involved in this particularly lucrative activity.