Two B2Gold workers dead after robbery in Mali

Two employees of B2Gold (TSX: BTO) in Mali were killed Thursday when their bus was attacked in an armed robbery, the miner says. 

The incident occurred when the bus under police escort was transporting workers from the Fekola gold mine to Bamako, the capital of the west African country. They came upon a robbery in progress about 75 km west of the city, the company said in a statement.

“Security forces accompanying the bus transport supported the safety of B2Gold personnel but, unfortunately, the incident resulted in the death of two employees,” B2Gold said . “Initial reports indicate all other employees on the bus have been safely accounted for and are being transported to Bamako for assistance.”

The miner said operations at Fekola weren’t affected and the incident wasn’t linked to terrorism. 

Mali is one of several west African states impacted by an influx of Islamic militants in recent years. France has pulled out many of its troops who used to patrol this Sahel region including several of its former colonies, such as Mali. The country has been in turmoil for at least a decade since a military coup allowed a jihadist insurgency to flourish. The government has deployed Russian mercenaries in an attempt to restore order. 

Earlier this month, attackers in the northern town of Timbuktu killed two United Nations peacekeepers from Nigeria and wounded four others.