Barrick may close Mali gold mine due to dispute with government

On December 16, Jinshi Data reported that Barrick Gold Corporation stated that the Malian military government had blocked the transportation of the country’s largest gold mine. If transportation continues to be suspended, the company will need to cease operations in the mining area. For several months, Barrick has been in dispute with the government over the allocation of economic benefits from the Loulo-Gounkoto complex, which produced nearly 700,000 ounces of gold last year. The military government has detained several company employees and issued an arrest warrant for the company’s CEO, Mark Bristow, earlier this month. Barrick’s statement said, “The local operating conditions have deteriorated significantly, with employees being arbitrarily detained and gold shipments being disrupted. If transportation continues to be suspended, Barrick will be forced to halt operations, further affecting Mali’s key economic driver.”