Barrick Employees Freed in Mali Following Settlement of Mining Dispute
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Four Malian employees of Barrick Gold Corporation have been released after a year in detention following an agreement between the company and Mali’s government resolving a dispute over the country’s revised mining code and revenue-sharing provisions. The employees were detained in Bamako in November 2024 during a standoff linked to the code’s implementation, which sought to increase the state’s share of income from gold operations amid record-high gold prices.
Barrick said last week that both parties reached a settlement after two years of negotiations concerning the Loulo-Gounkoto gold mining complex, one of the company’s main West African assets. Under the agreement, Mali released the four detained workers, and both sides are moving to normalize operations. Sources familiar with the development confirmed the release, requesting anonymity due to sensitivity. The deal is expected to ease tensions between Barrick and the Malian government and may help stabilize the mining sector, which represents a key source of Mali’s export revenue, though security and regulatory conditions remain potential risks for investors.
