Industrial Policy & Trade Monitor· 2663 actions· ✨ 89 recent

The Kyrgyz Republic's National Investment Agency (NIA) under the President formally issued a new mining license and license agreement to ZAAV CJSC — a joint venture between Silvercorp Metals (70%, operator) and state SOE Kyrgyzaltyn (30% free-carried interest) — extending the valid period of the Tulkubash/Kyzyltash gold project mining licence from June 25, 2032 to June 25, 2062, a 30-year extension. Under the Cooperation Agreement, Silvercorp paid $60M to the NIA (with a further $10M due upon specified milestones), and Phase 1 Development of Tulkubash (4 Mt/yr open-pit heap-leach, ~110,000 oz Au/yr) was approved for 2026–2027. The deal marks the first major Western mining capital re-entry into Kyrgyzstan since the 2022 Kumtor nationalisation from Centerra Gold, with Kyrgyzaltyn's 30% free-carry as the operative equity structure conditioning Western FDI access.

On 22-23 February 2026, President Félix Tshisekedi signed and publicly read on RTNC (state television) a series of presidential ordinances replacing the entire leadership of three strategic state-owned mining companies: Gécamines (copper/cobalt), SAKIMA (Société Aurifère du Kivu et du Maniema — eastern DRC 3T minerals and gold), and SOKIMO (Société Minière de Kilomoto — Kilo-Moto gold sites). New appointees include Baraka Kabemba as DG of Gécamines, Guy Robert Lukama as DG of SAKIMA, and Yannick Nzonde Mulundu as DG of SOKIMO. The sweeping governance reshuffle came approximately two months after the December 4, 2025 DRC-US Strategic Partnership Agreement on Trade and Investment, signalling a strategic repositioning of DRC state mining apparatus toward a US-aligned critical-minerals framework.

On 19 September 2025 (Communiqué CM N°2025-39/SGG), Mali's Council of Ministers, chaired by General Assimi Goïta, adopted four exploitation-phase "conventions d'établissement" operationalising the 2023 Code Minier (Loi n°2023-040) against named foreign-operated mines: Lithium du Mali S.A. (Goulamina, Ganfeng Lithium), Les Mines de Lithium de Bougouni-S.A. (Foulaboula, Kodal Minerals), SEMOS-S.A. (Sadiola gold, Allied Gold) and SOMISY-S.A. (Syama gold, Resolute Mining). Each convention raises the State's shareholding to 35% (a free non-contributory 10% carry plus up to 25% acquired, of which 5% is reserved for Malian private investors) and converts the stakes into non-contributory, non-dilutable participations carrying priority-dividend rights.

On 11 June 2025 the Burkinabè Conseil des Ministres adopted Décret N°2025-0598/PRES/PM/MEMC, formally completing the transfer of five gold-mining assets to the state-owned Société de Participation Minière du Burkina (SOPAMIB): two operating gold mines (Wahgnion Gold SA and SEMAFO Boungou SA, formerly held by Endeavour Mining subsidiaries) and three exploration-stage companies (Ressources Ferké SARL, Gryphon Minerals Burkina Faso SARL, and Lilium Mining Services Burkina Faso SARL). The underlying share-and-social-interest transfer agreement was concluded on 24 August 2024 between the Burkinabè state and Endeavour Mining / Lilium Mining; the June 2025 decree formalises SOPAMIB's full legal ownership. Executed under President Capt. Ibrahim Traoré's "sovereign ownership of mining resources" doctrine and the authority granted by the 2024 Code Minier (Loi N°016-2024/ALT), the decree marks the first comprehensive operating-mine nationalisation in the AES bloc (Alliance des États du Sahel) and signals that Sahel resource nationalism has moved from legislative code-amendment into direct operating-asset seizure.