Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso Shift Mining Allegiances Away from the West
The three countries have changed the way they interact with the West after the military coups held in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger in 2020, 2022 and 2023. Among other things, the three Sahel states have repositioned Western mining companies to seek more fairer conditions for their vast resources of gold, uranium and lithium. Over the past year, Niger has revoked its mining license from France’s Orano to operate Imouraren Mine, one of the world’s largest uranium mines. Burkina Faso followed suit and solicited major gold mines owned by the UK. These countries are not the West, but turn to Russia, China and Türkiye for mining investments. For example, China’s state-owned Ganfen opened a lithium mine in southern Mali in December last year. Despite the weakening of Western influence, experts say this is not entirely lost, as long-standing cultural and linguistic connections can still pave the way for more balanced terms to re-cooperate.
source: DW
