Since 2006, when large deposits of gold were discovered here,[REF] Diabougou grew rapidly into a mining village, with the traditional round huts now joined by a shanty town of structures built from whatever materials came to hand, from plastic sheeting to planks, sheet metal, and cardboard.
A 2011 report said that the gold rush had given the village a population of thousands, who were joining the unofficial part of the Senagalese mining industry.