Mali has approved the creation of a special mining enforcement unit aimed at intensifying the fight against illegal gold mining, a practice authorities say is depriving the country of billions of dollars in revenue.
The decision was adopted during a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, where the government approved draft regulations establishing a Special Mines Brigade tasked with strengthening law enforcement in the mining sector.
Authorities said the new unit would act as the judicial police of the mining sector and help secure artisanal mining and quarry sites across the country.
The move comes as Mali struggles to contain illegal gold mining activities that have expanded in recent years despite a series of enforcement operations launched since 2020.
Officials say illegal mining poses major economic, environmental and security challenges, particularly as operators often use banned chemical substances and operate in regions affected by instability.
The government has not yet provided details on the brigade’s structure, staffing levels or budget.
However, officials say the unit is expected to improve monitoring and enforcement at artisanal mining sites and reduce illicit gold flows that escape official reporting systems.
Gold is Mali’s most important export and a key source of government revenue.
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Yet large volumes of production from artisanal and small-scale mining remain undeclared, according to analysts and non-governmental organisations.
Official estimates place artisanal and small-scale gold production at about six tonnes annually.
But the Swiss development organisation SWISSAID estimates that the true figure may range between 30 and 57 tonnes per year.
Between 2012 and 2022, Mali likely produced more than 300 tonnes of undeclared artisanal gold worth about US$13.5 billion, according to the group.
Much of that revenue bypassed the state, depriving the government of taxes and royalties in an economy heavily dependent on gold exports.
Illegal mining has also been linked to environmental damage, including deforestation, water pollution and the use of hazardous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide.
Authorities say the Special Mines Brigade will help enforce mining laws, monitor sites and strengthen security in areas where illegal operations are often linked to smuggling networks.
The issue is not unique to Mali.
Several West African countries with significant gold resources have struggled to regulate artisanal mining while preventing illegal exports.
Neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger also face similar challenges related to informal mining and cross-border gold trafficking.
In Ghana, the government intensified its own crackdown on illegal mining in 2025 as part of efforts to reform the artisanal mining sector.
Authorities there created a specialised task force responsible for enforcing reforms introduced by the country’s gold regulator, the Ghana Gold Board.
The reforms were accompanied by efforts to formalise small-scale miners and increase oversight of gold trading.
Officials say these measures contributed to a sharp rise in recorded artisanal gold production in Ghana, which increased by about 60 percent during the last fiscal year.
Analysts say Mali’s new enforcement unit could help curb illegal mining if it is accompanied by broader reforms, including formalisation programmes for small-scale miners and improved monitoring of gold exports.
The initiative also comes at a time of strong global demand for gold, which has encouraged increased mining activity across Africa.
For Mali, authorities say improving oversight of the sector is essential to ensure that more of the country’s gold wealth benefits the national economy.
