We have received the following report from Morocco:
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- Category: Africa
- Created: Wednesday, 22 October 2025 18:39
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Ambaj village, Bouanane municipality – Figuig province: martyrs of daily bread Dear comrades
It is with deep sadness that we learned of a tragic accident that occurred on Sunday, 19 October 2025, in one of the artisanal barite mines located in the Boussalem area, part of the mining village of Ambaj, Bouanane commune, Figuig province, in the Oriental region.
The accident claimed the lives of two artisanal miners, due to a complete lack of safety conditions inside the site. The victims were two young men in the prime of life: one had just married and did not yet have children, while the other, a father of three, leaves behind a pregnant wife. The two victims, who were cousins, were originally from Talsint and had travelled to Ambaj to earn a living working in artisanal barite mining.
It should be noted that this mining activity takes place in rudimentary and dangerous conditions. The ore is extracted in an unregulated manner, then purchased and consolidated by the Caditaf company, which takes no responsibility for the workers, either in terms of social rights such as insurance and pensions, or in terms of safety and protection in the workplace.
According to the information available, the cause of death was the collapse of a tunnel in which the two workers were operating. Artisanal miners work without prior training in the management of risks related to explosives and collapses, and without the minimum necessary protective equipment.
Thus, the unregulated exploitation of natural resources has ultimately turned into the unregulated exploitation of human beings themselves, forced to work in inhumane conditions, without any protection, to earn their daily bread in the face of death.
(deepl translater)