A negotiated settlement following a March 22, 2012, military coup in Mali installed an interim president and an interim prime as heads of the nation’s government in April. The settlement grew out of negotiations between the coup leaders and representatives of countries within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). However, the route back to stable civilian rule in Mali remained uncertain. Rebels seized control of the northern half of the country as political events unfolded in the capital, Bamako, and a near-term agreement to end the rebellion seemed unlikely.
Mali’s gold mines, which are located in the south and west of the country, continued to operate normally during the coup and government change and were not immediately impacted by the rebellion in the north. Companies with operating gold mines in Mali include Randgold Resources/AngloGold Ashanti (the Morila mine), AngloGold Ashanti/Iamgold (Sadiola and Yatela), Randgold Resources (Loulo), Resolute Mining (Syama) and Avion Gold (Segala and Tabakoto).
In a statement issued April 9, Randgold said it welcomed the political settlement brokered in Mali by its West African neighbors and that the disruptions that followed coup had not materially affected Randgold’s gold production.
