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The Malian authorities has escalated a dispute with Barrick Gold by closing the Canadian mining firm’s workplace in Bamako and threatening to grab management of its property within the nation, the group mentioned on Tuesday.
The ruling army junta had shut Barrick’s workplace within the Malian capital and warned it might place the corporate’s Loulo-Gounkoto gold-mining advanced “underneath provisional administration except the mine was reopened and tax funds have been made — though gold exports stay blocked”, the group added.
Barrick, one of many world’s largest gold miners, is amongst a number of western corporations that have been focused final yr amid tensions with the army junta.
Though sure corporations reached agreements with the federal government in an effort to proceed working within the nation, some executives and employees — together with these of Barrick — have been arrested.
In January, Barrick suspended operations in Mali after the federal government seized a few of the firm’s gold.
Barrick mentioned on the time it had “regrettably initiated the non permanent suspension of operations” at Loulo-Gounkoto as a result of the corporate was being stopped from exporting gold from the mine.
The advanced is vital for the corporate, and produced its second- largest output of gold in 2023 after mines in Nevada.
Barrick mentioned on Tuesday the escalation this week had come regardless of it reaching an settlement about Loulo-Gounkoto with the Malian authorities, including this had been “accepted” by the ministry of finance in February. The corporate didn’t define the small print of the settlement.
“Though Barrick signed the settlement introduced by the federal government as requested in February, the federal government has didn’t execute it,” Barrick mentioned, including it was nonetheless keen to “honour” the accord.
Barrick went on to say an settlement with the federal government about Loulo-Gounkoto “now seems to be obstructed by a small group of people putting private or political pursuits above the long-term pursuits of Mali and its individuals”.
“It’s regrettable that the federal government continues to hinder gold exports whereas concurrently demanding tax funds on income it has actively prevented from being realised,” the corporate added.
Barrick mentioned it was ready to take authorized motion in opposition to the Malian authorities if an answer to the dispute couldn’t be discovered.
The federal government has been approached for remark.
Analysts at Peel Hunt mentioned final week that Mali’s new mining code had elevated the nation’s tax revenues in 2024, regardless of a fall in gold manufacturing final yr.
