Three expatriate executives from Australia’s Resolute Mining, which operates a gold mine in Mali, were detained for questioning, according to industry and judicial sources, on Saturday.
This marks the second incident in just over a month where personnel from a foreign mining company have been apprehended in Mali, as the ruling military government aims to exert more control over the profitable mining sector.
A judicial source indicated that the Resolute executives were taken into custody on Friday at a hotel in Bamako, the capital, and transported to a specialised unit established by the junta to address corruption and financial crimes.
They are under investigation for allegedly providing false evidence and misappropriating public property. The executives deny the claims.
As stated on the company’s website, Resolute owns 80 per cent of a subsidiary that operates the Syama mine in the northwestern region, while the Malian government retains 20 per cent.
In addition to the mine in Mali, Resolute has a gold production site in Mako, Senegal, and conducts other exploration activities in Mali, Senegal, and Guinea.
Gold accounts for approximately a quarter of the national budget and three-quarters of export revenue. Recently, foreign companies dominating the mining industry have encountered increased oversight from the junta.
In September, four staff members from the Canadian mining company Barrick Gold in Mali were detained for several days before their release.
Barrick Gold announced in October that it had reached a settlement with the government and paid 50 billion CFA Francs ($81 million).
However, at the end of October, the government said that Barrick Gold had failed to fulfil its obligations and warned of further actions against the company.
Following the coup in 2021, Bamako severed ties with France, its former colonial power that had aided in combating jihadist militants in the north. It sought political and military support from Russia.
