WA-based gold mining CEO detained by West Africa military

The CEO of an Australian mining company has been detained in West Africa.

The CEO of a WA-based gold mining company has been detained by the military-controlled government in West Africa’s Mali.

Terry Holohan along with other executives at Resolute Mining were taken by Mali’s junta over the weekend, according to individuals who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Perth Now reported.

The mining company has declined to comment on the matter, as has a member of Mali’s mining ministry, the publication said.

The reported detention followed four employees of fellow gold mining company Barrick Gold Corp being arrested in October.

Mali’s junta staged a coup d’état in August 2020 and in seized total power of the country in another coup in May 2021.

Since then, international miners in the country have been under growing pressure.

Terry Holohan, chief executive of the Australian mining company Resolute Mining Ltd, has been detained by Mali’s ruling junta.

Resolute Mining recently increased production at its Syama project in a $52 million expansion, in the nation’s southeast ahead of a planned second phase rollout in 2025.

Mr Holohan took on the leadership role in 2021 amid considerable financial challenges and operational issues, notably at the Syama mine in Mali.

Since taking on the role, he has worked to stabilise operations, restructure debt, and improve Resolute’s cash flow.

His efforts have improved the company’s financial position, but may have strained its relations in West Africa.

The Syama mine expansion was expected to increase gold production to more than 7000 kilograms (250,000 ounces) annually while also extending the mine’s lifespan.

Mr Holohan’s career spans over 40 years, beginning in the 1980s in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Before joining Resolute, he held senior roles in various mining companies, including positions at Ivanhoe Nickel and Platinum, and Anglo American Platinum.