Military governments in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are targeting foreign mining competitors to assert control over local resources. Niger accused Chinese companies of violating mining regulations, leading to operational halts. In a broader strategy supported by Russia, these governments are nationalizing assets and reinforcing domestic priorities in mining.
Military regimes in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are actively working to reduce foreign competition in their mining sectors. In March, Niger’s government accused three Chinese oil companies of breaching the local mining code, leading to their operational shutdowns. The implicated companies—China National Petroleum Corp, Soraz Zinder Refining Company, and West African Gas Pipeline Company Ltd.—had built a pipeline for oil exports to Benin.
These government accusations coincided with recent sabotage events, including an explosion on March 12 along a pipeline in the Dosso region. According to Niger’s government, these companies violated military administration decrees prioritizing resource allocation for Nigerien people, as they purportedly implemented an inequitable wage system, disregarded local supplier quotas, neglected employee training, and failed to share technology.
In early 2024, Niger nationalized the uranium operations of Orano SA from France, while similar actions in Mali included the detention of mining executives from Barrick Gold Corp. and the confiscation of gold from their Loulo-Gounkoto site. These developments suggest a coordinated strategy among the military governments in the Sahel region, with alleged support from Russia. This alignment reflects a broader initiative to enhance control over natural resources, revealing potential Russian interests in Africa’s geopolitical landscape and resource wealth.
The military governments of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are taking decisive steps to target foreign mining competitors, particularly Chinese and Western companies. By nationalizing assets and making accusations of compliance failures, they are signaling a shift towards greater domestic control over resources, potentially backed by Russia’s geopolitical ambitions. This trend underscores the complexities within the Sahel’s mining industry and the influence of external powers.
Original Source: odessa-journal.com
