Niger’s military government has announced the nationalisation of the country’s only industrial gold mine, accusing its Australian operator, McKinel Resources Limited, of “serious breaches” as the junta moves to tighten control over the nation’s natural resources.
Since seizing power in a 2023 coup, the military junta has vowed to address Niger’s complex security challenges and has increasingly pressured foreign mining companies. This follows similar moves in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali, and after Niger nationalised the local operations of French uranium giant Orano in June.
McKinel acquired a majority stake in the Société des Mines du Liptako (SML) gold mine—located along the River Niger—in 2019, taking over from a public firm.
An official order read on state television Friday by junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani cited “serious breaches” by McKinel and justified the nationalisation as necessary “to save this highly strategic company.”
“This measure aligns with the president’s vision to promote full appropriation of Niger’s natural resources by its people,” the order stated.
According to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the mine produced 177 kilograms of industrial gold in 2023, compared to 2.2 tonnes from artisanal mining across the country.
The junta accused McKinel of neglecting a $10 million investment plan, resulting in tax and wage arrears, worker layoffs, mounting debt, and production stoppages. Since McKinel’s takeover, the mine has reportedly fallen into an “alarming economic situation.”
In May, a bomb attack in Niger’s jihadist-affected Tillaberi region killed at least eight workers at the SML mine, underscoring the volatile security environment. The military has deployed over 2,000 soldiers to combat jihadist groups around the mine, a hotspot of violence in the country.
AFP
