4 executives from Canadian mining company arrested in Mali
Four executives from a Canadian mining company have been arrested in Mali, according to Africa News and agencies on November 28th.
It comes as the ruling military junta attempts to pressure companies in its mining sector to pay millions of dollars in extra taxes by detaining workers.
A statement on November 28th from Barrick Gold confirmed that four employees from its Loulo-Gounkoto mining complex had been charged and were awaiting trial after their arrest on November 25th.
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The company did not state what the charges were, only that it rejected them, and Malian authorities declined to comment on the arrests.
The same Barrick Gold employees had been detained in September, and the company says its working to reach an a agreement that would guide its partnership with the Malian government.
This includes negotiating the state’s share of the economic benefits generated by the mining site and the “legal framework in which this would be managed.”
Barrick Gold CEO Mark Bristow indicated on November 26th that “efforts to find a mutually acceptable solution have so far been unsuccessful, but we remain committed to engaging with the government to resolve all complaints filed against the company and its employees and to secure the swift release of our colleagues who have been unjustly imprisoned.”
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The CEO of Australian company Resolute Mining and two employees were arrested in Bamako earlier in November. They were released after the company paid Malian authorities $80 million to resolve a tax dispute and promised an extra $80 million in the coming months.
Mali’s military authorities conducted an audit of the mining sector last year then drafting a new mining code this year. Authorities then set up a commission in August to negotiate with mining companies over what the government believes they owe according to the audit.
Canadian mining companies B2Gold and Allied Gold accepted the demands earlier this year by making payments to the authorities and agreeing to the new mining code.
Africa News
