The Australian gold mine Resolute in Mali has that its CEO and two executives had been arrested while in Bamako to resolve continuing disagreements with authorities.
Resolute said in a statement on its website that CEO Terence Holohan and his two coworkers were in Bamako to discuss with mining and tax authorities the company’s business practices in Mali generally and to make progress on ongoing claims against Resolute, which continues to claim they are unfounded.
According to a statement by the company, the three employees were arrested after the end of meetings.
A judicial and industry source stated that the three executives were arrested in a case involving alleged falsification and damage to public property after being transported to the section that specializes in combating corruption and economic and financial delinquency the same day.
At the end of September, four workers from the Canadian business Barrick Gold—who were also at odds with the Malian authorities—were held for a few days before being freed.
The junta, which came to power by force in 2020, is putting more pressure on foreign mining corporations and is especially interested in the lucrative mining sector.
“Resolute is working to reach an agreement with the Malian government that secures the long-term future of the Syama gold mine; at the same time its top priority remains the safety and well-being of its employees,” the company said.
The United Kingdom’s and other nations’ embassies and consulates in Mali provide assistance to the executives, she said.
According to the company’s website, Resolute controls 80% of the shares in the subsidiary that owns the Syama mine, with the Malian state owning the other 20%.
The restoration of national sovereignty over natural resources and the battle against corruption have become the guiding principles of the Malian government.
One of Africa’s top producers of gold, Mali is also one of the world’s poorest nations, dealing with jihadis and a complex issue. Three quarters of export earnings and a quarter of the national budget come from gold.
The junta’s geopolitical shift toward Russia was accompanied by heightened pressure on international corporations.
