Escalation of the situation in Mali, Chinese enterprises urgently suspended operations, and all personnel have been evacuated! The Chinese Embassy in Mali issued a warning, with very serious wording. The embassy stated that there have been many kidnappings and attacks in Mali. These criminal acts target all foreigners indiscriminately. For safety, the embassy warned Chinese enterprises to immediately suspend operations and evacuate all employees back to Bamako, the capital of Mali. What is Mali like? Why is the local situation so chaotic? How much impact does this have on China?
Mali is an inland country in West Africa, with a population of more than 23 million. It is located in the southwest of the Sahara Desert, adjacent to countries such as Algeria. The most famous place in Mali is its gold production, with reserves of up to 900 tons. Mali was once the third largest gold exporter in the world, with 20% of the country's foreign exchange earnings coming from gold. In addition to gold mines, Mali also has the world's largest undeveloped lithium mine, with reserves of 52 million tons. Uranium, a key raw material for nuclear energy, and iron ore, a core industrial material, are also abundant in Mali.
Being on top of mineral resources, Mali should not be poor, right? But the reality is the opposite. Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a per capita GDP of less than $900. What does this mean? Mali is at the same level as war-torn Syria. Why can't Mali become rich? What caused the chaotic situation with armed groups? The answer to these questions actually lies in mineral resources, and the most critical one is gold.
In 2012, a military coup erupted in Mali, and the original government was overthrown. The tribal forces in northern Mali took the opportunity to rebel and seize power. Many extremist organizations saw an opportunity and flooded into Mali in large numbers. In 2020, Mali experienced another military coup. Colonel Goïta, the commander of the independent battalion of the Malian special forces, emerged victorious and became the President of Mali. Goïta clearly knew that his army alone could not control the entire country. Therefore, he brought in the Wagner group from Russia to help. Ukraine saw Russian involvement and decided to join in, sending support to the opposition forces in Mali.
Thus, the complex situation of various forces in Mali becomes clear. First, the military government and Wagner; second, the northern opposition forces along with Ukraine; third, numerous extremist organizations. The military government and Wagner focus on fighting the opposition forces while fighting against the extremists. Why is the conflict between these factions related to gold? There are three main reasons.
First, gold mining requires taking by force. A large number of gold mines in Mali are located in the desert areas in the central or northern parts of the country. The military government currently controls only 32% of the mines. That means nearly 70% of the mines are whoever takes them. For each faction, taking gold mines means having money, which allows them to grow stronger. It is therefore understandable that they fight fiercely for gold mines.
Second, the opposition forces incite the people. The Malian military government itself lacks the capability to mine, so it must cooperate with foreign enterprises under the name of the state. Enterprises from Canada, the UAE, and China have invested in Mali to mine gold. It is a normal model for the state to attract investment and collaborate with foreign enterprises.
But many Malians see the military government colluding with foreign enterprises to steal their gold. Why is that? Because private illegal mining in Mali is extremely rampant, and the military government has been cracking down on it. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of Malians are involved in private illegal mining. The military government forbids private mining, so some people directly join the opposition. Then the opposition and extremist organizations incite the people, making the security of foreign enterprises and employees very problematic.
Third, Ukraine is interfering. In fact, in 2023, the Malian military government had a chance to gain control. At that time, with Russian support, Wagner delivered a crushing blow, and the opposition forces were pushed back. However, later Ukraine entered the scene, helping the opposition forces to turn the tide. In 2024, Wagner was ambushed, resulting in 84 deaths and heavy losses. Mali angrily announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Ukraine and even took the case to the United Nations.
Now, the escalation of the situation in Mali is related to the decline in the control of the military government and Wagner. How much impact does this chaos in Mali have on China? Actually, it's not economic. As of the end of 2023, China's total investment in Africa exceeded $40 billion. Our investment in Mali is about $500 million, accounting for about 1.25% of the total, so the economic impact is not significant.
Then what is the biggest impact? It is the safety of Chinese workers abroad. There are about 200 Chinese companies in Mali involved in various mineral cooperation, with tens of thousands of overseas workers earning a living there. However, these Chinese workers abroad have no weapons and relatively high wages, making them easy targets for local armed groups to kidnap and rob. The Chinese Embassy's instructions are very clear: all Chinese gold-mining enterprises must immediately stop work, and other compatriots must also do the same, evacuating all back to the capital of Mali.
Gold mining can be temporarily put aside, but human safety must come first! This also reminds us that Chinese companies operating overseas and Chinese workers seeking livelihoods abroad need to establish their own overseas forces to provide strong security!
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7534627053539197440/
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