Barrick Response to Blood Gold Report
Statement Response to David Clement / November 10, 2023
December 13, 2023
Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD)(TSX:ABX) is aware of the publication released by the Blood Gold Report titled “How Russia is using Wagner to launder billions in African gold” (the “Report”). The authors state that the Report focuses on “gold extracted from African countries and laundered into international markets that provides billions in revenue to the Russian state”. It then attempts to make an inferred and unsubstantiated link between traceable and responsibly sourced gold mined by international mining companies in Mali, including Barrick, and said Russian revenues.
The Report contains many unsubstantiated allegations with predetermined conclusions which we reject in the strongest terms.
We responded to one of the authors, Mr. David Clement, on November 10, 2023 and requested that our letter be published in full by the authors should they choose to publish their report. It is regrettable that the authors did not do so, and instead chose to paraphrase our correspondence.
Please see our response to David Clement here.
Barrick’s longstanding engagement in Mali is a matter of public record. No sanctions are in place preventing the Loulo-Gounkoto Complex from operating in Mali. Our primary objectives are to create a sustainable and secure environment for the people and communities in the countries we operate in and to ensure that the host countries get their legal, fair and contracted share of the economic value generated for the ultimate benefit of the citizens of the country.