A single band of ancient rock running from Ghana through Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Guinea now produces more gold than East and Southern Africa combined. The Birimian greenstone belt is the continent’s gold growth engine, and the four richest countries along it were projected to pour close to 12 million ounces in 2024. But the belt’s biggest story in 2026 is not a new discovery. It is the running battle between the mining companies and the governments that host them.
For anyone selling into West African mining, understanding both the geology and the politics is essential. Here is how the belt breaks down, country by country.
Which West African country produces the most gold?
Ghana, and by a clear margin. It produced around 140 tonnes in 2024 and remains Africa’s largest gold producer, driven by mines like Ahafo, Obuasi, Tarkwa and Bibiani. Mali comes second at roughly 100 tonnes including artisanal output, though its industrial production fell sharply in 2024 during its dispute with Barrick. Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Guinea fill out a belt that collectively produces well over 400 tonnes a year.
Who owns the major mines?
The belt is worked by a mix of global majors and focused West African specialists.
- Ghana. Newmont at Ahafo and Akyem, AngloGold Ashanti at Obuasi, Gold Fields at Tarkwa and Iduapriem. Newmont’s new Ahafo North mine poured first gold in September 2025 and is ramping through 2026. Ghana’s full company picture is covered in our top 10 mining companies in Ghana guide.
- Mali. Barrick runs Loulo-Gounkoto, the country’s largest producer. B2Gold operates Fekola, which produced about 393,000 ounces in 2024. Resolute holds Syama.
- Burkina Faso. Endeavour Mining at Houndé and Mana, alongside IAMGOLD, though several operations have been affected by the security crisis.
- Côte d’Ivoire. Endeavour at Ity and the new Lafigué mine, which reached commercial production in 2024, plus Perseus at Sissingué and Yaouré. The country attracted the most exploration spending of any African nation in 2025.
- Senegal. Endeavour’s Sabodala-Massawa is the anchor, expanded in 2024, with Resolute at Mako and Managem bringing the Boto mine into production.
What happened between Mali and Barrick?
Mali rewrote its mining code in 2023 to claim a larger state stake, up to 35 percent, and the resulting dispute with Barrick escalated through 2024 and into 2025. The government detained staff, blocked gold exports, seized around three tonnes of gold worth roughly 400 million dollars, and in mid-2025 placed the Loulo-Gounkoto complex under provisional administration.
The standoff is now resolved. In November 2025 Barrick and Mali settled all their disputes, with Barrick agreeing to pay around 430 million dollars, the arbitration claims withdrawn and the provisional administration ended. Barrick resumed operational control in December 2025 and began a gradual production restart. The episode is worth studying, because it is the template for how far a determined government will go, and it shaped how every other miner in the region now reads its host relationship.
How is resource nationalism reshaping the belt?
Aggressively, especially in the Sahel. Burkina Faso’s military government nationalised five gold assets into a new state mining company, buying two former Endeavour mines for around 80 million dollars. Mali pressed miners for large payments, expecting well over a billion dollars from the sector in early 2025 alone. The pattern is consistent across the Sahel’s military-led states, which are rewriting the terms of mining in real time and taking direct ownership stakes.
Layered on top is security. Jihadist insurgency across Mali and Burkina Faso has forced at least five mines in Burkina Faso to suspend operations, and mining-directed security incidents in Mali rose sharply over 2024 and 2025 as militants shifted from military to commercial targets. The coastal producers, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, are more stable, which is part of why exploration money is flowing there.
What this means for suppliers
West Africa offers the continent’s strongest gold growth and its sharpest political risk in the same footprint. New mines are being built, Ahafo North and Lafigué among them, while others change hands to the state or pause on security. Reading which projects are advancing, which are frozen, and who now controls them, whether a company or a government, is the core challenge. AMIQ tracks 2,200+ African mining projects with verified owner and engineer contacts, the West African belt included, through AMIQ. For more, see mining in Ghana and gold mining in Africa.
Frequently asked questions
What is the West African gold belt?
It is the Birimian greenstone belt, a band of ancient gold-bearing rock running through Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Guinea. Together these countries produce more gold than East and Southern Africa combined.
Is the Mali and Barrick dispute over?
Yes. Barrick and the Malian government settled all disputes in November 2025, with Barrick paying around 430 million dollars. Barrick resumed operational control of the Loulo-Gounkoto complex in December 2025 and began restarting production.
Why are Sahel governments taking over gold mines?
The military-led governments of Mali and Burkina Faso are pursuing resource nationalism, rewriting mining codes for larger state stakes and, in Burkina Faso’s case, nationalising assets into a state mining company, in order to capture more revenue from their gold.
