Post #130

🗑 The Notion of Russians Mining Gold in Mali Is Bullshit 🌍 Today, the Malian Army and Russia’s Africa Corps allegedly conducted an airstrike on the Intahaka gold mine in eastern Mali, in an attempt to drive away JNIM forces that had reportedly seized the site a few days ago. Soon after, many on X rushed to accuse the Russian military and Bamako of greed for gold — so let’s explain why that’s nonsense, to put it mildly. ⏩The main reason is that Russian mercenaries come to Mali to make money to fight, and not for soil digging. ⏪ 🔸 Gold mining is a complex business that can either be large-scale, involving billion-dollar investments, heavy equipment, infrastructure, and risk: However, mercenaries don’t arrive with Caterpillars and refineries, while no major Russian private gold miner has ever shown interest in entering Mali’s mining sector. 🔸Or gold mining can be small-scale, involving breathing mercury and getting one's hands dirty. So, speaking of Intahaka specifically, in no way has Africa Corps benefited from Bamako's decision to drive away artisanal miners. If it were up to the mercenaries, they’d simply impose a tax in kind on local miners extracting gold there. No mercenary is going to dig the ground himself. 🔸 Even if such a form of exploitation as claiming a share of artisanal production does occur, it’s not the preferred option. There’s no point in being paid with impure gold when you can get cash instead: liquidity always wins. Bamako’s recent anxiety around Intahaka is not a sign of hostility towards ordinary people, nor is it an Africa Corps venture. Generally speaking, it’s simply what any normal state does with its resources — assert control over them. Devils Below