Four Malian employees of Barrick Gold Corp have been released from detention, three sources confirmed on Saturday. The employees were detained a year ago in Bamako, Mali's capital, amid a dispute between the company and the Malian government.
The release follows Mali's introduction of a new mining law, enacted as gold prices surged to record highs, which grants the country a larger share of revenue from gold mining operations. Barrick Gold had previously been in a standoff with Mali's government over the implementation of this law.
The Canadian mining firm announced on Monday that it had reached an agreement with Mali after two years of negotiations, resolving all disputes related to the Loulo-Gounkoto gold mining complex.
In a statement, the company confirmed that the agreement included the release of the four employees, who had been held in prison since November 2024.
The sources who verified the employees' release requested anonymity as they were not authorized to comment on the matter.
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