Mali reopens Barrick office after state takes control of gold mine

Dakar — Malian tax officials have reopened Barrick Mining’s office in the capital under a court-appointed administrator, after it was shuttered in April over alleged nonpayment of taxes, sources said on Monday.

It follows a Malian court decision on June 16 to placed the Canadian miner’s Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex under state control, in a major escalation of a protracted dispute over taxes and ownership.

The court named former Malian health minister, Soumana Makadji, as provisional administrator in a move that Barrick has said it would appeal.

Makadji is expected to restart operations at the complex soon. He will be visiting the site later this week, according to three people familiar with the matter. He was scheduled to hold meetings with Barrick staff and subcontractors at the Bamako office on Monday afternoon.

Spokespeople for Barrick and for Mali’s mines ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Barrick and the government have been in negotiations since 2023 over the implementation of a new mining code that raises taxes and gives the government a greater share in the gold mines.

Operations at the Loulo-Gounkoto mining complex have been suspended since mid-January after the military-led Malian government blocked Barrick’s gold exports and seized three tonnes of its stocks. Barrick’s main office in Bamako has been closed since April.

Reuters