International mining companies begin looking at Mali for its gold

摘要

Mali's gold, the main source of wealth in an African empire that flourished while Europe was in the Middle Ages. is proving increasingly interesting to foreign mining companies. The World Bank expects the West African country to become the continent's third exporter of gold by 1998. Mines, Energy and Hydraulics Minister Cheickna Seydi Ahamadi Diawara expects gold to overtake livestock and eventually cotton to become Mali's main export. The World Bank forecasts annual production will reach 20 t (643,000 oz) by 1998. "Gold is going to take more and more place in the Malian economy," Diawara said. Mali's current annual production is about 6 t (193,000 oz). It is divided between the Syama Mine, which produced about 4 t (128,600 oz), and placer production of 2 t (64,300 oz).