Armed group mounts double attack on artisanal mining site in Mali, leaving 3 dead and abducting 2

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — An armed group attacked an artisanal gold mining site in southern Mali on Monday morning, a local elected official announced, the first such attack since a military government seized power in 2020.

“Early on Monday morning, terrorists carried out two attacks in the Narena commune. First, they attacked a shop belonging to Chinese nationals. They kidnapped two Chinese nationals and burned their heavy machinery used in gold mining,” Mamadou Kanté, deputy mayor of Narena, told The Associated Press.

He said the fighters then attacked an artisanal gold-panning site nearby. Three people died: one Malian and two others from Ghana.

The attack has not been claimed, but it bears the hallmark of the JNIM group, which is linked to al-Qaida and is present in the commune of Narena, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south-west of the capital, Bamako.

Mali is one of Africa’s largest gold producers. In recent years, there have been concerns that profits from unregulated mining could benefit extremists active in the country.

“Gold is by far Mali’s most important export, comprising more than 80% of total exports in 2021,” according to the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. It says more than 2 million people, or more than 10% of Mali’s population, depend on the mining sector for income.

Artisanal gold mining is estimated to produce around 30 tons of gold a year and represents 6% of Mali’s annual gold production.

Mali has faced attacks from armed groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in the greater Sahara for over 10 years.

In 2020, a group of military officers staged a coup during a wave of protests against Mali’s democratically elected president, promising to restore security. Mali’s military rulers then cut ties with traditional partners, notably France and the European Union, who had troops in the country as part of the fight against extremists.

Mali’s military rulers then forged new links with Russia. However, according to analysts, attacks by armed groups have since increased.

By BABA AHMED
Associated Press