Barrick Gold says four employees charged and detained pending trial in Mali

TORONTO — Barrick Gold Corp. says four employees at its Loulo-Gounkoto mine in Mali have been charged and detained pending trial.

The Canadian gold miner says it refutes the charges, but did not say what they entailed.

Barrick added that it would continue to engage with the Malian government to find “an amicable dispute settlement that would ensure the long-term sustainability of the complex.”

The arrests come after four Barrick employees were detained for days in September.

Mining companies in Mali have faced pressure under the military-led government which has been trying to raise more money from the sector.

Barrick chief executive Mark Bristow said the company has been seeking to finalize a memorandum of agreement that would guide its partnership with the government in the future, including the state’s share of the economic benefits generated by the mine complex.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.

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The Canadian Press