Investment Arbitration

In November 2025, Barrick Mining Corporation (“Barrick”) and the Government of the Republic of Mali (“Mali”) reached a comprehensive settlement resolving disputes arising from the Loulo and Gounkoto gold mining operations. The agreement concluded nearly two years of escalating conflict marked by regulatory changes, operational disruptions, employee detentions, asset seizures, and the initiation of international arbitration proceedings. Under the settlement, Barrick agreed to pay approximately USD 430 million, equivalent to around 244 billion CFA francs, in exchange for the withdrawal of all arbitration claims and the restoration of its operational position in Mali.

The News and Events category publishes the latest News and Events relating to International Economic Law relating to Africa and the Global South. Every week, Afronomicslaw.org receive the News and Events in their e-mail accounts. The News and Events published every week include conferences, major developments in the field of International Economic Law in Africa at the national, sub-regional and regional levels as well as relevant case law. News and Events with a Global South focus are also often included.

February 19, 2022

The African Institute of International Law (AIIL) and the African Arbitration Association (AfAA) have partnered to host a three-part online workshop series on international investment law in Africa.

The workshops are targeted at government officials, academics, practitioners, research students, and professionals with an interest in international investment law and dispute resolution. The first workshop will focus on an introduction to international investment law and dispute resolution.

While procedural reforms are important, substantive reform should be foregrounded. If substantive reforms cannot take place then African states should exit the ISDS scene.

The Award in Oded Besserglik v. Republic of Mozambique, one of the very few publicly known intra African treaty-based investment arbitration cases, was issued 29th October 2019. The case started when in March 2014, a South African national (Mr. Besserglik) filed an application, before the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), against the Mozambique (the Respondent) on the grounds that his shares and interests in a joint fishing venture with some Mozambican State-owned enterprises, as well as his vessels, were unlawfully and fraudulently appropriated by the Respondent.

May, 2019