For years, international standards established they jumped in the air. As an example, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions, measured if we take into account that there are still countries that still buy gas from Moscow. Or after reactivation the genocide in Darfur (Sudan), United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres wrote an aseptic tweet in which claimed to feel devastated. However, the latest example of this international chaos in which we are plunged is that of Mali, where the military junta that has ruled the country since the 2021 coup d’état The CEO of the mining company Resolut was arrested ten days agoTerry Holohan, to resolve a financial dispute.
The Australian company, present in Mali and Senegal, has been at odds with the Malian government for several months. Concretely, the authorities of the African country demanded that Resolut 100 million CFA francs (152,360 euros) in tax arrears. For its part, the company assures that “it followed all official procedures concerning its affairs and provided the authorities with detailed answers on the operations carried out”. But the Malian authorities deny this. So, with the intention of finding a solution, Holohan decided to travel to Bamako, the capital of Mali.
However, upon arrival, the businessman and two others who accompanied him were arrested at the hotel for questioning. Ten days have passed since then and the three men remain imprisoned, although British diplomatic sources say that “They treat them well”. In a proportionate world, the Malian government would have gone to the competent courts to resolve the issue, but, apparently, the legal route seemed insufficient for the military in power. Or maybe too slow. Instead, they seem to have found a valid alternative by arresting the company’s CEO, accused of forgery and damage to public property.
Terry Holohan, CEO of Resolut Mining.
Immediately after learning what had happened, the mining company’s shares fell by 33% on the stock market. This is the biggest drop since 1988 and forces the Australian government to temporarily suspend the sale of the company’s shares.
The rescue: 160 million
The dispute revolved around Syama mining siteknown for its large gold deposits, and in which the Malian government holds 20% of the shares. After several days, we learned this week that Resolute would pay the Malian government $160 million as a “rescue” by its CEO. Some $80 million was pocketed immediately, with the rest to be paid out in the coming months. Furthermore, one of the conditions for Holohan’s release is the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the mining company and the Malian government. But despite everything that has been signed (and paid for), the truth is that Holohan remains in prison, despite the UK and Australia trying to secure his release.
Several years ago, Mali’s military junta launched an aggressive campaign of renegotiations with the mining sector, aiming to increase the state’s stake in mines from 20% to 35%. Kidnapping and extortion have since become their preferred methods. Last October, Malian authorities accused the mining company Barrick Gold to break its agreements signed and arrested four of their employees after accusing them of “financial crimes”.
In a subsequent statement, the military junta indicated that it had decided to draw all legal consequences arising from the actions taken by the mining company and threatened to withdraw its concessions for the Loulo-Gounkoto deposit. In this sense, three different sources reported the news. agency Reuters that the Malians demanded payment of more than 500 million dollars in tax arrears, of which 80 million were ultimately paid as a “gesture of good faith”, according to a company press release.
While it may make sense that Mali would seek to expand control over its own resources – partly motivated by the new Pan-Africanism spreading across West Africa – many voices are being raised to question the aggressiveness of his methods. The arrests were made on specific charges, but details have not been made public, which would make it possible to determine whether they were imprisoned on a legal basis or were simply kidnapped as part of a blackmail.
On this subject, a European diplomat accustomed to working with the Sahel military junta expressed a few days ago to EL ESPAÑOL how difficult it is to collaborate with the governments of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. As he stated, the the soldiers are “getting impatient” quickly face the bureaucratic mechanisms of international organizations and tend to look for shortcuts or, in any case, to seek partnerships with other nations, such as with Russia. However, it seems that they do not feel the need to follow an international order that avoids major disasters.
