Mali's Mining Code Reform and Strategic Minerals Governance (Lithium): Policy

Mali has been revising its mining framework to increase state participation, fiscal take and control over strategic minerals such as lithium and uranium, alongside gold. The reforms respond to longstanding criticism that Mali has not captured enough value from its mineral wealth and that contracts were too generous to foreign firms. Successive governments and civil society organisations have argued that, despite being one of Africa's largest gold producers, Mali has seen insufficient revenue flow to the treasury, limited technology transfer and minimal downstream value addition, whilst environmental and social costs have been borne disproportionately by mining-affected communities.