Burkina court annuls Karma gold deal as legal battle widens

A commercial court in Burkina Faso has annulled a gold purchase agreement involving Franco-Nevada Corporation, registered in Barbados and Sandstorm Gold Limited of Canada, ordering the companies to pay Burkinabe company, Riverstone Karma SA CFA5.

The June 10, 2026 judgment by the Commercial Court of Ouagadougou stems from a dispute over the Karma gold mine, now operated by Riverstone Karma, where the company argued that it had been unfairly bound by a long-term gold streaming agreement negotiated by the mine’s previous owners.“Franco-Nevada is also pursuing its own legal remedies in Ontario and elsewhere in accordance with the dispute resolution provisions in the agreement against Riverstone Karma SA, its parent Néré Mining SA and other relevant affiliates to protect its legal rights,” the company said in a press statement.