Mali: Assimi Goïta takes a radical decision on gold mining. A refinery to be built soon

Following in the footsteps of Burkina Faso, Mali has made a bold decision regarding its gold production. The transitional government of Mali has declared that «Mali’s gold must be refined in Mali».

As part of this initiative, the country will soon have a gold refining plant to process the raw material locally and add value to it.

This announcement was made by Amadou Keita, the Malian Minister of Mines, during his participation at the Atomexpo-2024 nuclear industry forum in Sotchi, alongside counterparts from Niger and Burkina Faso.

To realize this ambitious goal, a Malian delegation visited the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk in Siberia, where they toured the Krastsvetmet company.

The delegation observed the gold purification process, confirming its suitability for Mali’s needs.

Consequently, the Russian precious metals producer Krastsvetmet will build a refinery in Mali.

«We have signed a memorandum of understanding with Krastsvetmet, through which they will assist us in constructing a refining plant capable of refining 200 tonnes of gold per year», stated Professor Amadou Keita.

He continued, «This partnership will provide us with the technology and equipment needed to refine gold produced in Mali and potentially across the sub-region».

«Our current objective with Russia is to attract Russian partners to invest in Mali within a mutually beneficial partnership framework, encompassing research, exploitation, and skills transfer», he added.

Gold is not the only mineral resource Mali intends to exploit. The authorities also aim to develop the lithium processing industry across all stages.

«With significant lithium reserves, we have decided to focus on technology development. We need to establish lithium industries from production to energy storage», concluded Professor Amadou Keita.