Mali’s military-led government has created a new ministerial-level position to directly oversee the country’s mining industry, reinforcing presidential control over a sector that is central to the economy and state revenues.
Under legal texts establishing the post, the new minister will supervise mining policy implementation, ensure compliance with the mining code and scrutinize reports from licence holders—functions previously managed by the Ministry of Mines.
President Assimi Goïta has appointed Hilaire Bébien Diarra, an earth sciences specialist and former senior executive at Canada’s Barrick Mining, to lead the new office, according to a decree dated January 19.
Diarra, a Malian national, joined the government last year as a special adviser to the presidency during tense negotiations between the state and Barrick over the Loulo-Gounkoto complex, the country’s largest industrial gold operation. The government has been pushing for higher taxes and a larger state stake in mining projects, a move that strained relations with the company and was widely seen as weakening Barrick’s negotiating position.
Mali is among Africa’s leading gold producers, and recent national mining forums have called for stronger governance, improved security, stricter standards and greater attention to community impacts. A senior government official said the presidency has now assumed direct oversight of the sector, with major operating permits and contract negotiations decided at the presidential level. The Finance Ministry will handle taxation, while the Mines Ministry will focus on technical regulation.
The creation of the new post comes as the junta tightens its grip on mining through a revised 2023 mining code. In December, the government said the law had already helped recover 761 billion CFA francs (about $1.2 billion) in unpaid dues.
However, the tougher regulatory environment has unsettled investors and deepened a two-year standoff with Barrick. Provisional figures from the Mines Ministry show that industrial gold production fell by 23 per cent in 2025, highlighting the economic stakes as Mali reshapes control over its most strategic industry.
