Thanks for the video
@ResGloStocksDirect link for referencing:
0:34 - Ground work is progressing well and villages are being borne around the project with existing villages nearby also growing proportionately.
4:38 - 2 sections of the ball mill being erected, looks like it's progressing well compared to the last time I saw the site.
6:25 - Seydou Semega says "having Lithium is wealth", so the local people are well aware of the importance of our Goulamina project.
6:57 - Furthermore, he goes on to state that unlike gold mine projects, the environment is not exposed to dangerous chemicals which is a massive bonus.
8:22 - "I would like to emphasise the fact that we work within the framework of respecting the legal texts of Malian legislation" "...we are under the aegis of the Ministry of Mines and there are several departments which are involved in the management of a mining site..."
8:47 - The project has allowed employment of over 1000 people.
9:25 - The plan is to have construction completed in the month of April 2024 followed by 2 to 3 months of testing to get to spodumene concentrate ready for export by July 2024.
I personally believe the holdup is around formality. The Malians are well aware of the prosperity this project brings to the country. The video mentions the difficulty/scarcity in bringing up a fully functioning mine in Australia, and made a passing comment regarding China (as the leader in this space), the Chinese and the EU. I'm not sure they specifically mention GanFeng but my French is horrible.
(20min delay)