• President Goïta named Hilaire Bebian Diarra as mining activities commissioner.
• The new body will oversee mining code compliance and sector strategy.
• The move strengthens presidential control over mining sector governance.

Mali’s President Assimi Goïta signed a decree this week appointing Hilaire Bebian Diarra as commissioner in charge of mining activities, with ministerial rank. The appointment marks a promotion for the former head of Barrick’s Tongon mine in Côte d’Ivoire, who left the group last year to become a special adviser to the Malian presidency.

Diarra is a geosciences specialist who spent several years managing the Tongon mine, then owned by Barrick. Shortly before the asset was sold to Côte d’Ivoire’s Atlantic Group in the fourth quarter of 2025, he joined the Malian presidency as an adviser. His move came amid a dispute between the Canadian mining group and Malian authorities over Loulo-Gounkoto, the country’s largest gold mine.

Under the decree governing the new mining activities commission, the body is tasked with ensuring compliance with the mining code, reviewing activity reports from mining license holders, and proposing sector development strategies. It is also mandated to recommend measures to strengthen transparency in the industry.

Placed directly under the presidency, the creation of the commission confirms a tighter grip by President Goïta on the management of the mining sector. Several of the commission’s powers overlap with those of the Ministry of Mines. In recent months, negotiations with mining companies over implementation of the new mining code and the implications of an audit showing foregone state revenue of CFA300 billion to CFA600 billion, or more than $1 billion, were led from the presidential palace in Koulouba.

In December 2025, the authorities said these efforts had enabled the state to recover CFA761 billion from mining companies. With responsibilities now shared among the Ministry of Mines, the mining activities commission, and the presidency, regulation of Mali’s mining sector involves a growing number of actors. This evolving structure could create uncertainty for investors, with the effectiveness of the new allocation of roles set to be tested in the coming months.

Emiliano Tossou