A judge in Mali on Monday ordered Barrick Gold's Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex 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.

The permit for Loulo, where processing facilities are located, expires in February, shortly after the period of provisional administration is supposed to end. Barrick filed a renewal request four months ago, a spokesperson for the company said, adding that a separate license for Gounkoto runs for another 17 years.

Canada's Barrick Mining had its Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex in Mali placed under state control by a court on Monday in a major escalation of a dispute over taxes and ownership. A former Malian health minister,