Thousands of gold miners forced to leave Guinea have poured into neighbouring Mali after gruelling journeys, many arriving exhausted and empty-handed. With nearly 160,000 people registered, Malian authorities have declared a humanitarian emergency.

On Monday in Ouzegoudougou, near the Malian capital Bamako, displaced miners arrived with luggage and personal belongings. 

Groups are seen sitting along the roadside and gathering around a reception centre, waiting for assistance and transport back to their home countries.

Many had travelled from Burkina Faso and other West African countries to Guinea's goldfields in search of work, hoping to earn enough to support their families and build a better future. Instead, they have been forced to leave, with little to show for their efforts.

"I went to Guinea to look for gold. Unfortunately, we were driven out. We walked all the way to Mali," said miner Nounou Samian. 

The mass exodus followed a crackdown on unauthorised artisanal gold mining in Guinea's northeastern Siguiri region. 

Guinean authorities ordered mining operations halted in several areas, citing environmental destruction, including damaged farmland and polluted waterways.

For many miners, the journey home means abandoning not only their livelihoods but also the dreams that took them to Guinea in the first place.

Burkina Faso has condemned the handling of the expulsions, with Security Minister Mahamadou Sana alleging that some nationals suffered cruel and degrading treatment, including injuries, during the operations.

Guinea insists its crackdown targets illegal mining, not specific nationalities, and maintains that those detained are being treated in accordance with the law and human rights standards.