African Barrick Gold is building a 14-kilometre wall around one of its Tanzanian mines as part of new security measures aimed at preventing future attacks by villagers seeking to steal gold ore.

Construction of the security wall at the North Mara Gold Mine in Mara region follows a raid on the facility in May by around 1,500 intruders, which left five people dead.

Construction is now underway on a new 14-kilometer security wall to prevent illegal miners from accessing hazardous areas. Construction is expected to be completed in early 2012, ABG said in a statement seen by Reuters on Saturday.

Additional CCTV cameras have been installed in sensitive areas at the mine. New camera equipment has also been ordered to support the upgraded security wall.

The North Mara Gold mine, which consists of four open pits, has experienced several attacks over the past few years.

In 2008, some 200 people attacked it and destroyed property worth $7 million.

The mine produced almost 213,000 ounces of gold in 2010 and is the company's third-largest mine by production this year.

The gold miner, which floated in London in March 2010, expects to produce between 700,000 and 760,000 ounces of gold from its four gold mines in Tanzania this year.

Barrick said it was also investigating allegations of sexual assaults at the troubled mine in Tarime district about 100 km (60 miles) east of Lake Victoria.

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