On Tuesday and Wednesday February 16th and 17th, illegal artisanal miners engaged in protests in the vicinity of Teranga’s Sabodala mine site, resulting in property damage to Teranga and its business partners, including two light vehicles, a bulldozer and a guard cabin for which Teranga has filed a formal legal claim with the government (as required by law) to seek reparation for the property damaged during the protest. Teranga’s processing operations were largely unaffected, and all activities have now returned to normal. All Teranga employees have been reported safe, with only one sustaining minor injury. The protest was organized following the shutdown by the Gendarmes on Monday February 15th of an unauthorized illegal artisanal mining site located within the Sabodala Mining lease actively being mined by protestors up to two weeks prior to this date. The Gendarmes and local administration are still in the process of completing their investigation to determine whether charges should be laid. Teranga is not involved in the investigation and has no knowledge of its status at this time. Teranga maintains strong communication channels with its local communities, and continues to engage in active dialogue regarding its activities and events past and present through a number of formal and informal community networks and forums...In engaging with our local communities, governments and NGOs over the past number of years as part of the collaborative development and implementation of the Teranga Regional Development Strategy supporting regional sustainable economic growth, agriculture and food security...At the local level, a social committee chaired by local authorities involving a diversified group of representatives from the seven villages around the mine (women, youth and elders included) and Teranga typically convenes monthly to raise issues relating to the Sabodala mine, discuss potential solutions, and to identify additional community development initiatives.