Mali’s Press and Publicity Agency reported that an information session for media on artisanal and small-scale mining was held in Bamako on October 6. A representative of the interministerial regulatory commission said clandestine activity, particularly dredging in riverbeds, carries environmental, health, social, security and fiscal risks.

The briefing said dredging alters riverbeds and banks, increases water turbidity and risks chemical pollution. Officials said a commission and permanent technical secretariat had been established to support enforcement of the regulations. They cited Article 62(2) of Mali’s 2023 Mining Code and a 2019 interministerial order banning gold dredging in waterways. The report did not announce a new enforcement operation, seizure or production estimate.