Barrick Gold Corp. said Mali has shut its office in the nation’s capital and is threatening to take over its gold operations.

Mali warned it would place the company’s shuttered Loulo-Gounkoto complex under provisional administration unless the mine is reopened and tax payments made, Barrick said in a statement Tuesday.

The cash-strapped military junta running the West African nation has demanded payments for alleged back taxes from Barrick subsidiaries. It also wants the Canadian firm to adhere to new legislation that would give the state a larger stake in the mine and higher royalties.

The impasse with Mali is hindering Barrick’s ability to fully capitalize on record bullion prices. Loulo-Gounkoto is Mali’s biggest gold operation. It’s also one of the Toronto-based firm’s most important assets, with only its flagship mines in Nevada providing it with more output and income.

“It’s regrettable that the government continues to obstruct gold exports while simultaneously demanding tax payments on revenue it has actively prevented from being realized,” Barrick said in the statement.

A finance ministry official and mining ministry spokesman declined to comment.

Mali is also seeking settlement payments, alleging the Canadian miner moved $5.6 billion out of the country without proper authorization. Barrick denies the allegations.

Exports from Loulo-Gounkoto – which produced 723,000 ounces of gold last year – have been blocked since November. Barrick said that, although it signed an agreement to resolve disputes and reopen the mine in February, the authorities haven’t executed it.

In October, the company paid Mali $85 million as negotiations were ongoing. Mali has since seized 3 tons of gold from the mine and detained four Barrick employees.

Mali, which relies heavily on gold exports to generate revenue, saw output from large-scale mines drop 23% to 51 tons last year.