Mining industry of Mali
The mining industry of Mali is dominated by gold extraction but also produces diamonds, rocksalt, phosphates, semi precious stones, bauxite, iron ore, and manganese.
[1][2] The importance of mining and production of raw minerals has changed throughout time and has involved many foreign stakeholders, most notably France, the former Soviet Union, and South Africa.
Gold extraction has occurred in Mali from ancient times using simple implements before the modern mechanized system came into practice.
[4] This activity is traced to the days of monarchy of the Islamic emperors in the country when salt and gold were major Trans-Saharan trade commodities from Timbuktu and Djenné.
[6] The heart of the Mali Empire was located along the Niger River Basin, making it the intersection of many important trans-Saharan trade routes.
[6] This allowed Empire Mansa Musa I to control the trade of gold, salt and kola nuts throughout North and West Africa.
[9] French colonial rule brought the end of the Trans-Saharan trade, as most all commodities and materials were created for export to enrich France’s economy.
[16] In 2021, gold substantiated 80% of the countries total exports and approximately two million Malians rely on the industry for their livelihood.
The Malian government has been losing its control over gold-producing regions in the south of the country, and the French army has also been unable to halt the exploitation of gold at the hand of mafia-like groups.
In 2021, a high-profile case involving 133 kilograms of Malian gold ingots smuggled and apprehended in South Africa led to heightened tensions between Mali, Madagascar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Other established mineral resources are Semiprecious stones extracted are amethyst, epidote, garnet, prehnite, and quartz.
The development of industrial mining in many cases has led to the expropriation of land from indigenous peoples, sometimes displacing entire communities.
[28] Artisanal gold mining hotspots have brought many migrants to Mali, and children compose much of the workforce at these sites.
[29] Chronic physical pain and exposure to dangerous chemicals are of particular health concern and have been impacting child development.
Farmers in the areas of gold mining have increasingly been arming themselves out of frustration with destroyed farmlands and declining agricultural activity.
[30] Contamination from the use of these chemicals, often through groundwater when recklessly disposed of at mining sites, can have sweeping effects on human and animal populations.
[30] Cyanide poisoning at its worst causes death and paralysis, and in less severe cases, causes nausea, headaches, vertigo, cognitive impairment, respiratory issues, and high blood pressure.
[32] Regional water shortages due to industrial mining operations making certain freshwater sources unsafe have also impacted the environment and human communities.
