• The Malian government revoked around 100 mining exploration permits in October 2025, mostly for gold, citing sector “clean-up” efforts.

• The country has maintained a suspension on new exploration permits since 2022, despite declining national gold reserves.

• Authorities intend to reallocate the freed areas to more active and compliant investors under the 2023 Mining Code.

At the end of October 2025, Mali’s Ministry of Mines revoked about 100 mining exploration permits, mainly in the gold sector, as part of a sweeping clean-up of the mining industry. The measure comes as the suspension on new exploration permits, in place since 2022, remains active.

The ministry issued a decree on October 13, 2025, canceling dozens of exploration licenses. Although the government did not publicly outline the reasons for the move, local media reported that the decision aimed to sanitize the sector and restore discipline among operators.

Industry observers see the cancellations as a potential step toward reopening Mali’s mining cadastre to investors. Canadian miner B2Gold said the revoked licenses were mainly linked to “inactivity and non-compliance with the provisions of the 2023 Malian Mining Code.”

Many of the affected companies reportedly failed to carry out any meaningful exploration work, a common issue in African mining jurisdictions. Under the “first come, first served” principle, firms with little technical or financial capacity often secure exploration titles they do not intend to develop. These permits then become speculative assets, held or traded for profit.

“The issuance of an exploration or research permit is not an administrative act granting unlimited rights to the holder,” said mining law expert Charles Bourgeois in an interview with Ecofin Agency. “If the holder fails to meet work commitments, the state must be able to withdraw the title and make it available for other companies to prospect.”

The 2023 Mining Code provides clear grounds for withdrawing exploration titles. Article 204 stipulates that a research permit can be revoked if activity halts for more than six months without authorization. The recent decree includes permits dating back to 2013 and even 2009. The order states that all affected areas are now free of prior rights, opening them for reallocation.

The government has not yet announced when it will reopen applications for new exploration licenses. However, analysts say Mali must urgently boost exploration, particularly in gold, its key mineral resource. Between 2022 and 2024, gold producers’ reserves dropped by 17%, underlining the country’s need to discover new deposits.

This article was initially published in French by Emiliano Tossou

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum