Barrick took control of the mine in 2019, when the country’s National Environment Management Council had closed down the TSF, then holding significantly more water than it should.
Interviews with government officials across Africa reveal smuggling operations that span at least nine countries and involve tonnes of gold spirited over borders.
Iron ore has undergone a transformation from a relic of the industrial age to the driving force behind a commodity supercycle that reshaped the global economy.