Mali detains Canadian mining firm staff amid tax dispute

Malian authorities arrested four senior employees of Canadian mining firm Barrick Gold at the Loulo-Gounkoto complex Monday, escalating tensions in the mining sector over unpaid taxes. Barrick confirmed the charges Tuesday, without specifying their nature, and rejected the allegations. The employees, previously detained briefly in September, now await trial. The arrests come as Mali’s military regime pressures mining companies to settle millions in additional taxes. Malian officials declined to comment.