Mali’s government recently detained executives from Resolute Mining, an Australian company, over $160 million in unpaid taxes, sparking media narratives that framed the action as authoritarian. However, this move reflects a broader effort by African nations to renegotiate exploitative resource contracts inherited from colonial times. Despite being one of Africa’s largest gold producers, Mali’s wealth has primarily benefited foreign companies, leaving nearly half its population impoverished. Recent reforms, including updates to its mining code, seek to change this. While Western governments intervened to try and secure the release of the Resolute Mining executives, an action that prioritized corporate interests over local laws, Mali successfully secured the payments it was owed. This growing trend across Africa, with nations like Senegal and Burkina Faso following suit, signals a collective push for resource equity, challenging neocolonial practices and asserting sovereignty.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
