Three executives from an Australian mining company have been detained in Mali for questioning amid allegations of falsification and damage to public property.
Media reports indicates that, the managing director of Resolute Mining Ltd, including Terry Holohan, and two other executives were taken into custody on Friday.
Resolute Mining, which holds an 80% stake in the Syama gold mine in southwestern Mali, faces allegations of forgery and public property damage.
A company representative denied the charges, emphasizing that Resolute Mining is cooperating with authorities.
The detention of foreign executives’ highlights growing tension in Mali’s mining sector, as the military government increasingly asserts control over foreign-operated mines.
In a similar case in September, four employees of Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold were detained, ultimately leading the company to pay the Malian government 50 billion CFA francs ($81 million) in October to resolve outstanding issues.
Since coming to power in 2020, Mali’s military government has prioritized ensuring a more equitable distribution of mining profits, parting ways with France and fostering closer ties with Russia.
In May, Australian miner Firefinch relinquished its Morila gold mine holdings to Mali’s state-owned Sorem, reflecting the junta’s approach to controlling key resources and fostering local ownership.
Despite being one of Africa’s top gold producers, Mali remains among the poorest nations globally, and the government has positioned resource control as essential to its economic agenda.
