(3 Minutes Read)
Barrick Gold says it is working to finalize an agreement that would guide its partnership with the Malian government, including the state’s share of the economic benefits generated by the mining site and the legal framework in which this would be managed.
Malian authorities have arrested four executives from a Canadian mining company as the country’s military regime continues to detain workers to pressure companies in its mining sector to pay millions of dollars in additional taxes.
Barrick Gold confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that four employees from its Loulo-Gounkoto mining complex had been charged and were awaiting trial after their arrest on Monday night.
The company stated that it rejected the charges but did not specify what they were. Malian authorities declined to comment on the arrests.
These same Barrick Gold employees had been briefly detained in September. Barrick Gold says it is working to finalize an agreement that would guide its partnership with the Malian government, including the state’s share of the economic benefits generated by the mining site and the legal framework in which this would be managed.
Earlier this month, the CEO of Australian company Resolute Mining and two employees were arrested in Bamako, Mali’s capital. They were released after the company paid $80 million to the Malian authorities to resolve a tax dispute and promised to pay an additional $80 million in the coming months.
Read Also:
Mali is one of Africa’s leading gold producers but has been grappling with jihadist violence and high levels of poverty and hunger for years. The military seized power in 2020, and the regime has been increasing pressure on foreign mining companies to consolidate state revenues.
