| Welcome to Next Africa, a twice-weekly newsletter on where the continent stands now — and where it’s headed. Sign up here to have it delivered to your email. Mali’s cash-strapped military government has turned to an old playbook — strong arming a large payment from one of its few remaining investors. The chief executive officer of Australia’s Resolute Mining was detained along with two colleagues earlier this month after he traveled to the country to discuss a $160 million tax charge. The junta previously brought Barrick Gold to the negotiating table by arresting four of its employees.  A Malian flag trails behind a military vehicle. Photographer: Daphne Benoit/AFP/Getty Images Other struggling African nations have resorted to similar tactics. In 2017, Tanzania’s then-leader John Magufuli had officials from Barrick’s Acacia Mining unit interrogated over an allegation that billions of dollars of taxes were outstanding. The government demanded a payment of $190 billion (way more than Acacia was worth), but settled on $300 million three years later. Oil major Exxon reached an undisclosed settlement with Chad in 2017 after the country levied a $74 billion fine related to a tax dispute. And two years ago, the Democratic Republic of Congo seized passports belonging to executives from foreign telecom companies and only returned them after they agreed to be bound by a controversial new tax law. Resolute, which made a profit of $66 million in its past financial year, said it made an initial payment of about $80 million to Mali’s government and more money will be forthcoming. Its CEO Terry Holohan remains in custody for now. The West African nation’s rulers, struggling to finance a conflict against Islamist militants after their power grab saw aid largely frozen, may see the gold producer’s decision to pay up as a victory. Existing and prospective investors in Mali are likely to have a different view. — Katarina Hoije and Antony Sguazzin Key stories and opinion:
Resolute Mining to Pay Mali Junta to End Tax Dispute
Resolute CEO Detention Highlights Risk for Miners In West Africa
What’s Driving the Coups in Gabon and Across West Africa?
Domino Effect in Africa, Embarrassment in Paris: Lionel Laurent Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye looks set to secure a parliamentary majority that will enable him to implement reforms needed to stabilize the nation’s shaky finances. With counting under way after Sunday’s election and official results yet to be released, several opposition candidates congratulated Faye’s Pastef party on its victory. Pastef won 84 seats, one more than it needs to control the legislature, according to broadcaster Radio Futurs Medias.  A man holds up a poster of Faye during a campaign rally in Dakar in March. Photographer: John Wessels/AFP/Getty Images The new prime minister of Mauritius ordered an audit of official data that he said showed the economy had been performing better than it actually was. A team has begun reviewing the Indian Ocean island nation’s public finances, said Navinchandra Ramgoolam, who returns for a fourth term as premier after a 10-year absence following his coalition’s landslide win in Nov. 10 elections. “All the numbers from the finance minister are wrong,” he told a public rally. “They manipulated the data to make you believe that life is rosy.” South African authorities are intensifying efforts to force hundreds of informal gold miners holed up in underground shafts to the surface so they can be arrested. The police sealed off access to the Buffelsfontein gold min, southwest of Johannesburg, several weeks ago to deny the miners access to food and other essentials. While more than 1,000 have surfaced, many more are still thought to be below ground and there are mounting fears their lives may be at risk. “It is standard police practice everywhere to secure a crime scene and to block off escape routes that enable criminals to evade arrest,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said.  Police officers and private security personnel at the Buffelsfontein mine. Photographer: Denis Farrell/AP Photo An opposition leader won elections in Somaliland, casting doubt over whether the semi-autonomous region will honor a deal that would give Ethiopia direct access to the sea. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, a former speaker of parliament known as Irro, won about 64% of the ballots cast. Under an accord announced on Jan. 1, Somaliland granted Addis Ababa the rights to establish a military base and commercial facilities on its coastline in exchange for an unspecified stake in Ethiopian Airlines. Somalia, which sees the region as part of its territory, has objected. Irro hasn’t specified whether the deal will be upheld. Gabonese voters approved a new constitution that will extend presidential terms to seven years, from five currently. The plebiscite, which also paves the way for military ruler Brice Oligui Nguema to run for president in elections that are set to be held by August next year, is seen as an important step toward a return to civilian rule. The constitutional overhaul was backed by 92% of voters, according to Interior Minister Hermann Immongault.  A voter casts a ballot during Gabon’s referendum in Libreville on Nov. 16. Photographer: Nao Mukadi/AFP/Getty Images The European Council agreed to give the Rwandan military an additional €20 million to support its deployment in Mozambique, where it’s helping to fight an Islamic State-backed insurgency. The funds will go toward personal equipment and strategic airlift costs. Rwandan forces have played a pivotal role in pushing back the insurgents in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province since late 2021. The fighting has delayed a $20 billion natural-gas project being led by TotalEnergies. Thank you for your responses to our weekly Next Africa Quiz and congratulations to Orson Gard who was the first to correctly identify the wandering albatross as the bird species under threat from an outbreak of avian flu on an island halfway between South Africa and Antarctica. Most African central banks weighing interest-rate changes are set to lower them, wary that the window to ease further may narrow after Donald Trump becomes US president. Of the 14 monetary authorities due to give decisions in coming weeks, eight including South Africa and Kenya are seen cutting, five are expected to stand pat and one — Nigeria — may hike. While domestic conditions will ultimately dictate their decisions, it will be hard for them to ignore Trump’s election win, which has roiled emerging markets as investors bet his policies could lead to a stronger dollar and higher US borrowing costs. Thanks for reading. We’ll be back in your inbox with the next edition on Friday. Send any feedback to mcohen21@bloomberg.net | 
