Assimi Goïta, president of Mali. File photo.
By Karl Fluri – Jan 21, 2025
In the ongoing fight for sovereignty in Africa, a continent rich in resources but constantly subject to imperialist enslavement, the Malian state’s recent seizure of 3 metric tons of gold, worth roughly $245 million, from Barrick Gold may represent a critical turning point.
The activities of Barrick and other Canadian mining companies in Mali are a prime example of how countries in the Global South are exploited, with foreign companies taking resources for their own financial gain and leaving the local population to pay the social and environmental consequences. Due to Barrick’s longstanding favourable arrangements, the Malian people did not see many real benefits under the Western-owned state apparatus. Today’s government, established after the 2021 coup, is working to change this.
Even though mining in Mali has brought in billions of dollars for Barrick, the reality for local workers and communities has been stark inequality, serious violations of human rights, and no real economic growth. Another significant effect of Barrick’s operations is environmental deterioration – poisonous chemicals used in gold mining have seeped into surrounding water sources, endangering the health of the communities. Economic progress was a false promise that the mining industry’s devastating effects overshadowed.
With regard to international enterprises, the Malian government is now starting to act far more assertively. This case is not a single event, but part of a broader trend of opposition to Canadian “mining imperialism” (imperialist policies focused specifically on extractive industries), in which Canadian firms have been stealing riches from countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa while leaving behind social inequity and environmental damage.
It is estimated that around 75 percent of mining companies worldwide are based in Canada, demonstrating the extent of Canada’s mining empire. Companies such as Barrick Gold and Teck Resources have engaged in several exploitative activities around the world. The reach of Canadian mining operations demonstrates the importance and strength of Canadian capital in the global arena.
These businesses function primarily in areas with weak governments and regulatory systems that frequently fall short of stopping the mining industry’s worst abuses. The global system of imperialist exploitation is further solidified in these situations, when Canadian mining companies may take resources with little regulation and maximize profit. Canadian mining firms have also been connected to widespread human rights violations, economic exploitation, environmental degradation and unlawful and unethical operations in countries from Ghana, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Philippines and Papua New Guinea.
For instance, in the Philippines, Canadian mining enterprises have been connected to tragedies like the 1996 Marcopper disaster, which was brought on by the Canadian-owned Placer Dome and severely harmed the environment and health of the surrounding communities. Canadian companies such as Goldcorp and Hudbay Minerals have been accused of using military and paramilitary troops to quell resistance and engaging in violence against Indigenous people in Guatemala. In many countries where Canadian mining firms conduct business, the pattern of violence, exploitation and extraction is the same.
The Canadian government actively supports its domestic and international mining companies, ensuring that local communities don’t significantly interfere with their operations. It frequently supports coups and interventions to install friendly regimes or uses debt slavery to exert control through institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Canada’s role in perpetuating the global capitalist system is central to understanding the dynamics of mining imperialism. The Canadian state is not merely a passive observer of the actions of its corporations abroad – it actively supports these corporations through diplomatic efforts, financial assistance and international agreements. The Canadian government, whether Conservative or Liberal, has consistently defended the interests of the mining industry, which is a crucial pillar of the Canadian economy.
Canada’s financial and diplomatic assistance to its mining firms abroad is a component of a larger plan to guarantee that Canadian capital can function in international markets without facing significant obstacles. For instance, Export Development Canada (EDC) ensures that Canadian mining businesses engaged in contentious projects worldwide have the resources necessary to grow their operations by providing financial support. The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) also helps Canadian mining ventures overseas by providing market analyses and introductions to foreign governments. These initiatives, which frequently come at the expense of local communities, are meant to secure lucrative ventures for Canadian businesses.
Furthermore, Canada has played a key role in advancing Foreign Investment Protection Agreements (FIPAs), safeguarding Canadian mining corporations’ interests by enabling them to take legal action against foreign governments when laws or policies jeopardize their earnings. These agreements limit the sovereignty of the countries where multinational corporations operate and strengthen their position of power.
Mali’s fight for resource sovereignty is closely linked to the African anti-imperialist movement as a whole. In September 2024, the South African Communist Party (SACP) issued a “salute [to] the revolutionary actions taken by the leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal to shatter the yoke of French neo-colonial and imperialist exploitation and domination.”
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The intellectual basis for Mali’s endeavours lies in African nationalism, which has long aimed to liberate the continent from colonial and neo-colonial powers. It is still unclear if Mali can remain independent in the face of tremendous pressure from international capitalist forces, as has been the case with other African countries that have made comparable attempts.
Through direct military involvement, economic sanctions or the manipulation of local elites, imperialist forces have frequently damaged African nations, including Libya, notwithstanding their brief successes in resource ownership. Thus, Mali’s mission is not just to take resources from organizations such as Barrick Gold but also to create a more significant movement for economic autonomy that build toward the overthrow of capitalism and its replacement by socialism. This requires a robust and dynamic vision – one which must include internationalism – emphasizing self-sufficiency and mobilizing resources for the needs of the people.
Global capitalism depends on the resource extraction industry, which is led by businesses in imperialist nations like Canada. Despite having abundant natural resources, countries in the Global South – especially those in Africa – lack the infrastructure, capital and technology necessary to utilize them for their own development properly. This establishes a power dynamic in which imperialist countries dominate the means of production and extraction through multinational firms such as Barrick Gold, stealing from the Global South while leaving the local populace in poverty.
Mali, like other African nations, must confront the paradox of being resource-rich yet economically underdeveloped, and this requires both political and economic strategies to ensure that the country’s wealth benefits the people rather than foreign corporations. The experiences of all countries impacted by mining imperialism show that international solidarity and cooperation are necessary to challenge the power of imperialist states and multinational corporations.
The fight against mining imperialism must be viewed as a global struggle involving oppressed nations. The nationalization of key industries, implementing policies prioritizing social and environmental well-being over profit, and empowering local communities to manage and control their resources are all critical components of a just and equitable system.
The objective is to radically alter the relationship between the Global South and the forces of global capital, in addition to regaining control over national resources. Solidarity with other countries in the Global South becomes essential at this point. It is not possible to win the fight for sovereignty alone. Nations and peoples fighting for the freedom to manage their resources without intervention from transnational companies and imperialist governments must work together in this global conflict.
This is the work that lies ahead: the work of revolution, liberation and building a new world free from the shackles of imperialism and exploitation.
