Mali halts new artisanal mining permits for foreigners following deadly accidents

Mali, Africa’s second-largest gold producer, has suspended the issuance of new artisanal mining permits to foreign nationals after a series of fatal accidents in the country’s artisanal mining sector.
The move follows a devastating mine collapse on 15 February in the western Kayes region, which claimed the lives of at least 43 people, mostly women. This tragedy was preceded by a deadly tunnel flood in January that resulted in 13 deaths. In response, Mali’s military-led government has strengthened safety regulations, including banning local councils from issuing mining permits to foreigners and seizing equipment used in illegal gold extraction. Several local officials have also been dismissed for their roles in these incidents, and investigations are underway.
Mali’s mining industry, dominated by foreign companies like Barrick Gold, B2Gold, and Resolute Mining, has faced growing scrutiny due to these accidents. The government, under military leadership since 2020, has been working to revise the country’s mining laws to ensure greater state benefits and improve safety standards. The new measures are part of broader efforts to reform the mining sector, which has faced challenges such as tax evasion and disputes with multinational companies. However, these changes come amid declining industrial gold production and concerns that the suspension of mining permits could deter future foreign investment in the sector. According to the World Gold Council, Ghana is Africa’s top gold producer with 135 tonnes of the precious metal produced from 2010 to 2024, while Mali came in second.