- Following the observation that Malian gold does not shine for everyone
- To ensure that lithium benefits Malians
- The PWYP coalition denounces procedural flaws and makes demands
Beyond gold, Mali’s subsoil abounds in lithium. The national coalition Publish What You Pay Mali (PWYP) wants it to be exploited for the benefit of Malians. The members of the coalition spoke at a press conference on 24 March 2023 during which they denounced the facts.
According to the president of PWYP Mali, Abdoul Wahab Diakité, gold mining does not benefit all Malians. Despite a superficially brilliant contribution to the national budget, gold has never shone for the average Malian, according to him. The coalition wants Malians to benefit from this strategic mineral. Indeed, there are two lithium mining projects in Mali: Galamina held by Firefinch Ltd and Bougouni by Minéraux Kodal, according to Abdoul Wahab Diakité. But the contract for the transfer of the Galamina lithium mine has not yet been published on the website of the Ministry of Mines. “Without the publication of the contract and its annexes, the communities will not be able to ensure their role of monitoring and control and participate in decision-making concerning their environment,” he added.
Following these observations, PWYP deplores the fact that Galamina will go into production while the conclusions of the environmental and social impact assessment are not available to communities and civil society, which has no means of monitoring the environmental and social impacts of the Galamina lithium project.
In addition, no information is available on the potential economic benefits, the method of calculation and pricing of the ore on the international market, or the social and environmental commitments of lithium mining.
In light of all these findings, proposals were made to the government. These include the full publication of the Galamina mine transfer contract and its annexes; the provision of the conclusions of the environmental and social impact studies to the communities (Bougouni, Galamina) and civil society; and a ban on the export of minerals in their raw state without any prior processing, as demanded by Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Finally, the coalition is calling for regular information sessions for the population and civil society on the future challenges of lithium mining in Mali.
Lithium is the chemical element used in the manufacture of lithium batteries and other electronic devices.
Rachid Ouedraogo
#Mines_Actu_Burkina
