An ongoing dispute over ownership stakes in Barrick’s operation in Mali has led to the arrest of mining officials, the government’s gold seizure and the company’s shutdown of its mine.

Mali’s military government has started seizing gold stocks of the Canadian mining company Barrick as part of a legal battle over the share of revenue owed to the West African state, according to an internal Barrick letter seen by The Associated Press.

Canadian miner Barrick Gold said it will have to suspend mining operations in Mali after the government seized gold stocks from the company's Loulo-Gounkoto complex and flew them out by helicopter over the weekend.

Shares of Barrick Gold were last seen 0.3% higher at $15.75, but remain down 21.1% over the past three months. GOLD faces resistance at the $16 level and its 30-day moving average, though the $15 mark has recently provided support to limit further losses.

Barrick Gold Corporation GOLD recently stated that it remains restricted from shipping gold from the Loulo-Gounkoto mining complex in Mali. Furthermore, the Malian government has executed the interim attachment order on the gold by transferring the current gold stock from the location to a custodial bank,

Mali's military government is holding gold seized from Barrick Gold's Loulo-Gounkoto mine site at state-owned Banque Malienne de Solidarite (BMS), two sources said, as the miner pursues plans to suspend its operations in the country.