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Mali implicates Barrick Gold of breaching arrangement, miner denies claims

Mali has actually implicated Barrick Gold of stopping working to comply with commitments made in a current agreement, charges the Canadian miner rejected on Thursday, stating it did decline any claims of wrongdoing.

Barrick, the world's second-largest gold miner, revealed on Sept. 30 it had actually agreed with the federal government to solve disputes over the Loulo and Gounkoto cash cow, days after Malian authorities quickly apprehended four Malian personnel working for the company.

But in a joint statement dated Oct. 23, Mali's economy and mines ministries said Barrick had actually not honoured the commitments to which it subscribed in the agreement.

Without sharing further information, the ministries said the breaches included those relating to ecological and corporate social duty and foreign exchange rules.

They stated there were serious risks to the group's continued operations in Mali, one of whose operating licenses expires at the beginning of 2026.

The Malian federal government has actually chosen to draw all legal effects emerging from the actions taken by Barrick Gold, they said.

In reaction, Barrick denied the claims and said considering that Sept. 30 it had actually been actively engaged with the government to reach a settlement that would include an increase in the state's. share of economic take advantage of the Loulo-Gounkoto complex.

While Barrick does not accept any claims of misbehavior, it. has actually selected to act in excellent faith as a long-standing partner of. Mali, it stated in a declaration, adding that the company had paid. the federal government $85 million in early October in the context of. continuous negotiations.

Earlier this month, 3 sources told Reuters that Mali's. military federal government was seeking a minimum of 300 billion CFA. francs ($ 512 million) in impressive taxes and dividends from. Barrick.

Asked to comment at the time, a Barrick representative said. the company was still in the process of negotiation.

The demands on Barrick follow an audit of mining contracts. in 2015 and a subsequent push by the junta to renegotiate. existing agreements with foreign mining companies focused on. carrying a higher share of earnings into state coffers. through a new mining code.

(source: Reuters)