Mali’s state-owned Mineral Resources Research and Exploitation Company (SOREM) signed a strategic partnership agreement with the American company Flagship on October 8, 2025, to resume operations at the Morila SA gold mine.
This agreement marks a significant step in the transitional government’s policy of recovering control and strengthening national mining sovereignty.
The signing follows the Malian government’s official takeover of Morila S.A. in June, where it acquired an percent stake for the symbolic sum of one US dollar from the outgoing shareholders. The Morila mine, a flagship of the national industry since its founding in , reached its production peak in the early before its main quarry closed in and operations ceased entirely in .
Flagship, led by CEO Ron Slaughter, is now committed to acquiring a stake and investing capital and technical expertise for the rapid rehabilitation and resumption of production at the site. The partnership is framed as a “win-win approach” aimed at increasing local economic benefits.
The Morila mine remains a vital asset, having already yielded over million ounces of gold since , with current reserves estimated at over million ounces. The resumption of operations under SOREM’s control is expected to help stabilize Mali’s gold production, which saw a percent decrease in . The government is also advancing other major projects, including the construction of a per year gold refinery in Senou.
MD/ac/fss/abj/APA