Blue gold: how a Ghana mine’s troubles hit workers and UK politicians – and could cost British taxpayers

The future of the Prestea-Bogoso mine is up in the air amid a dispute with the government of Ghana. Photograph: Golden Star Resources

In late 2020, amid the economic maelstrom unleashed by Covid-19, there were few better places to be than sitting on top of a goldmine.

In Ghana, the west African country once called the Gold Coast by British colonisers, the Bogoso-Prestea mine was producing 4,000 ounces of the precious metal a month, valued at $6m (£4.5m).