Country Experience: Mali
This job involved a site visit, project appraisal and report sign off for the former French BRGM-owned Kobada gold property in the southern part of Mali, immediately to the east of Senegal. The project, owned by African Gold Group had completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) which had to be signed off by a "competent, independent person".
The assignment, conducted in a French speaking environment, provided a further insight into the emerging West African economies, the changing taxation and project financing settings, plus additional exposure to customs formalities, ministerial whim, in this case in Bamako, and banditry to the north, towards the Algerian border.
Mali salient statistics:
8th largest country in Africa, population 14.5M, capitol Bamako pop. 2M, currency central African Francs (CFA) 500 to 1 USD, language French, religion 98% Muslim, other main towns Segou, Gao and Timbuktu.
Images of illegal (artisinal) mining on the site.
