In South Sudan ordinary people have been extracting gold from artisanal mines and taking part in as-yet unregulated trade in the precious metal.

Now the government hopes to pass mining legislation that will formalize the industry, let them tax precious metal and mineral exports and sell concessions to large-scale investors.

Officials say firms from China, Australia, the United States, South Africa and other African countries plan to apply for licenses when new mining laws are passed in November. After many delays, parliament is set to begin debate on the bill on Monday.