By: Samafor

West African countries have traditionally been hotspots for miners but a number of companies are locked in disputes with military administrations in the region. In recent weeks, several companies have launched arbitration cases against authorities in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. In one high-profile dispute, Canadian miner Barrick last week suspended operations in Mali after the government seized control of its gold stocks, reportedly worth $245 million.

“Now you have what’s going on in West Africa, there should be a little more investment into East Africa,” Stephen Mullowney, CEO of Canadian miner TRX Gold, said in an interview. He cited Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania — the latter of which TRX Gold is already operating in — as countries that are likely to see an uptick in interest, along with the southeastern nation of Mozambique, although investment there may be curtailed by political instability following disputed elections.