This development comes amid an escalating dispute over mine revenue in the West African nation.

Reports suggest that authorities in Mali are also seeking to arrest Abbas Coulibaly, the General Manager of the Canadian mining company's Loulo-Gounkoto complex.

An expert on Mali's political and economic dynamics from the University of Bamako Dr Zoumara Diarra refutes suggestions that the arrests are an attack on the mining giants.

Diarra says at the root of this crisis was an audit revealing a considerable deficit in the Malian government finance, which estimates that the company embezzled billions.

“I don't think this is an attack on the mining sector, all these actions are the result of the recommendation from the audit report. The political objective is to ensure that Malian gold can shine for millions and that involves cleaning up the sector on the financial front. It should be remembered that according to an audit commissioned by the government in 2022, before the mining code was revised, Mali would have recorded a shortfall of almost a billion, from the countries mining companies,” Diarra said.

“I cannot comment on the credibility of the case, we will have to wait for the legal proceedings to be completed. One of the mining companies has reached an agreement with the government, but four others are backtracking. Despite  an initial agreement reached in September between the government and Barrick Gold, tension persists, with the Malian government accusing the Canadian company of not respecting its commitment. The recent arrests are proof of this. These events demonstrate the determination of the Malian authorities to recover the country's resources and combat illegal practice in the gold mining sector”.

--ChannelAfrica--