Mali: Foreign artisanal gold miners licenses suspended

Mali announced it will suspend licenses for foreign artisanal gold mining companies after a string of fatal accidents.

According to AfricaNews, On March 5th President of Mali’s government Gen. Assimi Goita, ordered “the suspension of artisanal mining permits granted to foreigners.”

The ban is in response to several accidents at mining sites that claimed the lives of dozens of people.

The most recent mining incident happened during January in the Koulikoro region, which is south of the country, another accident occurred in February in the southwest Kayes region.

Artisanal gold mining produces approximately 30 tons of gold a year, representing 6% of Mali’s yearly gold production. In a statement the Council of Ministers said measures would be taken to recover equipment used in gold panning. This represents an important change, as previously mining companies were able to recover their equipment themselves after paying a fine to the country’s authorities.

Minister of Security, Gen. Daoud Ali Mohammedine said: “These measures are designed to further strengthen the state authorities and protect our fellow citizens. These measures give us the power to seize materials (mining equipment), which will be confiscated and placed in the domain of national heritage.”

More recently, concerns have been expressed that profits from unregulated mining in northern Mali may be benefiting active extremists. Over 2 million people, 10% of Mali’s population, depend upon mining for their income.

Several major gold producing mining companies are currently operational within Mali, this includes Barrick Gold, Resolute Mining, B2Gold, and Allied Gold.

Over recent years, tensions have been rising between mining companies and military authorities, who are demand that these companies pay money, while complying with the new mining code. Four employees of Canadian mining company Barrick Gold were imprisoned in Bamako at the end of 2024.Despite this, on February 20th, Barrick Gold and Mali signed an agreement ending their two year long dispute.

AfricaNews, Maghrebi, Reuters