In the Central African Republic, a landslide at a gold mining site in Zamboye has reportedly claimed 107 lives and left many missing. In the Abba region, in the Nana-Mambéré prefecture near the Cameroonian border, at least 30 bodies have been recovered, according to Central African sources. On the Cameroonian side, the mayor of Garoua-Boulaï reports 107 deaths. The search continues, and the death toll is still being finalized.
On Tuesday afternoon, August 18, 2026, heavy rains struck the region. In Zamboye, part of the gold mining site, located near Garoua-Boulaï on the border between Cameroon and the Central African Republic, collapsed suddenly. Dozens of workers were buried under the earth and mud. Frequented by gold miners from the Central African Republic, Cameroon, and Chad, the site stretches along both sides of the Kadé River. Rescue efforts were organized, while the search continued for any possible survivors.
“What happened is a tragedy, a humanitarian catastrophe. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen landslides at mining sites. The question we’re asking ourselves is: what have we done to prevent this from happening again? The answer is that nothing has been done. During the rainy season, given the soil conditions and the way the excavations are carried out, access to these sites should be prohibited.”
DR. PAUL CRESCENT BENINGA, Secretary General of the GTSC (Civil Society Working Group) – Central African Republic
This tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of artisanal mining in this region. In the same prefecture, at least 23 people had already died in a landslide in Bé-Mbari in May. A month later, eight more miners died in Kinyémé, while several people were reported missing. This series of accidents has reignited concerns about safety conditions at these sites.
“I offer my condolences to the families of the deceased and missing victims. I would like to once again call upon the ruling political elites, particularly our institutions, to spare no expense in implementing regulatory measures. “Never again” must not be just a slogan: it must be effective and operational in all sectors of life in the Central African Republic.”
DR. PAUL CRESCENT BENINGA, Secretary General of the GTSC (Civil Society Working Group) – Central African Republic
In neighboring Cameroon, the mayor of Garoua-Boulaï, Amadou Abdon, reported a death toll of 107, while extraction operations were still underway. In the Central African Republic, the Baboua prosecutor’s office announced the opening of an investigation. At this stage, the precise circumstances of the collapse remain to be determined, and the final death toll could still rise.
