APA-Dakar (Senegal) – The transitional authorities had sold the two mines to the Turks in April 2023.
On Wednesday 20 March 2024, the Burkinabe government decided to withdraw the industrial operating licence for the large Inata gold mine held by Afro Turc Inata SA and the large Tambao manganese mine held by Afro Turc Tambao SA.
At the end of April 2023, the government sold its mining assets, the Inata gold mine and the Tambao manganese mine, for 30 billion CFA francs (US$50 million).
Today, the authorities are accusing the Turkish mining company of not having “paid any of the sums owed” to the country, despite having been summoned and given a 90-day notice to do so.
In Ouagadougou’s view, these companies have failed to meet their obligations.
When the contract was signed, the mining company was asked to participate in the fight against terrorism by creating bases for the defence and security forces.
“The company was asked to build bases for the defence and security forces in the areas around the mining sites. This is a way of contributing to the resolution of the security crisis we are
experiencing,” Mining Minister Pierre Boussim told APA.
“The council has therefore decided to withdraw the industrial exploitation permits for the large Inata gold mine held by Afro Turc Inata SA and for the large Tambao manganese mine held by Afro Turc
Tambao SA, and to hand them over to new investors,” reads the minutes of the Council of Ministers.
At the beginning of March 2023, the government sold mining assets for industrial exploitation to the Turkish company Afro Turk by direct agreement.
According to the government, these mines constituted integrated projects and vectors for development in the Sahel region.
Afro Turk SA is a company affiliated to the Turkish government. It has been active in the mining sector since 1938.
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