BAMAKO, Mali >> A judge in Mali on Monday ordered Barrick Gold to be placed under provisional administration for six months in an ongoing dispute between the Canadian mining company and the West African nation’s military government over unpaid taxes.

Judge Issa Aguibou Diallo in a statement to Barrick’s lawyers also announced the appointment within 15 days of Zoumana Makadji, an accountant and a former minister of health of Mali, as the company’s provisional administrator.

Barrick Gold has been in conflict with Mali’s military rulers over alleged unpaid taxes and unfair contracts with past governments. The dispute culminated in an arrest warrant in December for Barrick CEO Mark Bristow.

— The Associated Press