West African juntas escalate pressure on foreign mining companies

n early January, soldiers in Mali made a bold move, swooping in by helicopter to seize three tonnes of gold from the Loulo-Gounkoto mining complex.

This daring operation, ordered by the military government, marks a dramatic escalation in tensions between the region’s juntas and foreign mining firms.

The gold complex, predominantly owned by Canadian firm Barrick Gold, is one of the world’s largest, and the confiscated gold is worth an estimated $260 million to $290 million.

The move is the latest chapter in a long-standing struggle by the militaries of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to regain control over their natural resources, which they argue have been unfairly exploited by foreign corporations.

Malian authorities, who seized the gold after weeks of mounting tension with Barrick, have also demanded hundreds of millions of dollars in arrears from the company.

In addition, several mining employees, including a CEO, have been detained, signaling the government’s tough stance on foreign firms.

These actions come amid broader efforts by the Sahel’s military governments to renegotiate mining contracts and ensure a fairer distribution of wealth.

Mali alone depends on gold mining for a quarter of its national budget, with Burkina Faso and Niger relying heavily on their mineral industries as well.

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