Mali Creates State-Owned Enterprise Sopamim to Assert Control Over its Mining Assets

During the Cabinet Meeting held on 6 February 2026, the Government of Mali decided to create the Sopamim to manage its mining assets. Sopamim is a 100% state-owned enterprise (SOE).

With this entity, the Malian Government intends to centralize the management of its mines and to restructure the relations between the extractive companies and the state. It shall hold stakes in strategic mining projects to ensure that benefits flow back to the local economy.

Revenues generated by Sopamim can be applied to local development projects. The SEO will also promote green and responsible mining. With this move, the state moves from being an observer and mere tax collector to being a stakeholder and active actor to shape the mining industry.

The amended Mining Code in Mali requires mandatory state participation between 20% and 35%. The mining industry in Mali is dominated by foreign players and is mostly extractive, generating some but limited benefits to the local economy.

In 2022, Mali established Sorem that focuses on the exploration and development of greenfield mines. The mission of Sorem is to build up a pipeline of bankable mining projects ready for investment.

The creation of Sopamim occurs amidst heightened interest in #gold and #CriticalMinerals, of which Mali has rich reserves. As a shareholder in mining operations, the Government will be able to closely influence the direction of the mining industry, which is undergoing rapid growth.

The creation of Sopamim (2026) and Sorem (2022) is part of the strategy of the Government to reinforce institutional capacity and control over mining assets. The decision of Mali is part of a broader trend in the Sahel region, and even across the continent, whereby governments leverage more sophisticated legal instruments and higher-level structures to reinforce resource governance.