Mali has detained four local employees of Barrick Gold, the Canadian mining company, amid increasing pressure on foreign miners. The employees are charged and held pending trial, with Barrick disputing the charges.

Mali has detained four local employees of the Canadian mining company Barrick Gold, the company announced on Tuesday. This marks the latest instance of the ruling junta targeting foreign mining companies’ personnel.

According to a statement from Barrick Gold, the employees have been charged and are being held pending trial. While the company disputed the charges, it did not disclose specific details about them.

Since seizing power in a 2020 coup, Mali's junta has pledged to ensure a more equitable distribution of wealth from the country’s mining industry, which has long been dominated by foreign corporations. In recent months, however, foreign mining companies have faced increased scrutiny and pressure as the military authorities seek to tighten control over Mali's lucrative mineral resources.

Barrick Gold, in partnership with the Malian government, operates one of the world’s largest gold mining complexes, the Loulo-Gounkoto open-pit site located in western Mali.

The latest arrests come on the heels of a similar incident in September, when four other Barrick Gold employees were detained for reasons that were not publicly disclosed. Those employees were released several days later after the company claimed to have resolved its issues with the Malian state.

Despite this resolution, Mali’s mining ministry later accused Barrick Gold of failing to fulfill its obligations.

In its statement on Tuesday, Barrick Gold reaffirmed its commitment to resolving disputes with the Malian government. “We remain committed to engaging with the government to address all claims against the company and its employees and to secure the early release of our unjustly imprisoned colleagues,” the company said.