The Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and eyewitnesses told AFP that Guinea-Bissau female protesters on the 20th attacked a Chinese-operated zircon mine in the northwest and set the equipment on fire.
An protester told AFP that the mining activities were destroying their farmland and local environment. They had complained to the authorities but had not received a response, so they resorted to protest action.
Eyewitnesses told AFP that after the protest in Nhacra, several women and a village chief were arrested. Nhacra is located near the resort town of Quinhamel, not far from the Senegal border.
They said hundreds of women participated in this protest. Chinese companies have been mining here since 2022, with the zircon extracted being used in ceramics and construction industries.
A woman participating in the protest, Kajafe, told AFP: "We told them that we do not want mining without consent... our rice fields have been destroyed, and the rivers near the mine no longer have fish." She said that even though they protested, no one listened.
The Minister of Internal Affairs of Guinea-Bissau, Cande, told the media after inspecting the site: "All the facilities were burned down." However, he did not specify which facilities were destroyed.
He also said that the women involved have all fled into the forest to hide. "They must be pursued and arrested."
In the United Nations Human Development Index ranking of 193 countries, Guinea-Bissau ranks 179th. According to the latest data from the World Bank, about 25% of Guinea-Bissau citizens live on less than $1.90 a day (8.4 ringgit).