The Human Cost of Gold | National Geographic Magazine: Illegal Gold Miners in Moonscape | Prestea, Ghana, Africa

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Illegal Gold Miners in Moonscape | Prestea, Ghana, Africa

Big guys vs. the little guys – AngloGold is the world’s most valuable mining company, worth over $30 billion in 2003. These artisanal miners are mining the banks of the Pra River near Prestea, Ghana, because Anglo Gold has gotten the government to bring in the military to beat the crap out of them because they were mining the tailings piles around the big industrial mines.  So they have backed off to this riverbank.  But there is no moderation in enforcement, and when the military leaves, they will go back.