Mali’s military government has detained four senior local employees of Canadian mining company Barrick Gold, sources said on Friday.
Barrick, the world’s second-largest gold producer and a key player in Mali’s mining industry, has faced increasing pressure since a junta took control in 2020.
A regional government official, speaking anonymously, stated that the arrests were linked to alleged financial misconduct.
Barrick declined to comment, and Malian authorities were not available for immediate response. According to a second source in Mali’s mining sector, the arrests took place on Wednesday.
As one of Africa’s top gold producers, Mali has implemented a new mining code to boost state revenue by increasing its ownership in gold concessions.
This is part of a broader shift in policy, where the government has distanced itself from traditional Western allies like France, while fostering closer ties with Russia.
In 2023, Mali entered agreements with Russia to construct a gold refinery in Bamako and collaborate with Russian state nuclear company Rosatom for mineral exploration and nuclear energy development.
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