Illegal mining activities have reportedly occurred at East Africa Metals' Mato Bula and Da Tambuk sites in Ethiopia's Tigray region, driven by a more than 50% rise in gold prices this year. Despite the company's claims of non-operational status, former soldiers and Chinese miners allegedly extracted gold from early 2024 to mid-2025, backed by undisclosed investors. The region's interim president has deployed a task force to halt mining, but enforcement is threatened by escalating conflict, raising concerns of a Sudan-style resource conflict with minimal local benefits.