At the end of the Council of Ministers held on Friday February 6, 2026, the Government of Mali announced the creation of a new public company intended to strengthen the presence and control of the State in the mining sector.

The Mining Heritage Society (Sopamim SA), will be wholly owned by the State and will have as its main mission to acquire and manage public participations in mining projects. It will allow Bamako to structure and centralize the management of its mining assets, in a context of the gradual redefinition of relationships between the State and extractive companies.

The creation of Sopamim SA is part of a broader strategy aimed at consolidating Mali's economic sovereignty over its natural resources, to increase the share of wealth captured locally and to strengthen the involvement of national businesses and workers in the mining value chain.

Noted that Mali is among the main West African gold producers and hosts several majors international companies, including Canada's Barrick Gold, one of the biggest global producers of gold and copper.