Mali will partially lift its suspension on mining permits, which has been in place since 2022, starting March 15.

The military-led West African nation, a major gold producer, initially halted the issuance of mining titles in November 2022 to streamline the process. Last year, Mali enacted a new mining code that increases taxes and expands state ownership in mining projects. Following efforts to clean up the mining register, authorities will now accept applications for permit renewals, transitions from exploration to exploitation, and transfers of exploitation permits. However, new mining permits and the transfer of search permits will remain suspended.

For more on this Thami Ngubeni spoke to Dr Zoumara Diarra from the University of Bamako in Mali.