Sébastien de Montessus to Lead Mansa Resources as New African Mining Platform Takes Shape

A new mining platform backed by African and international investors is taking shape in West Africa with the appointment of Sébastien de Montessus as chief executive of Mansa Resources, a company seeking to consolidate and develop gold assets across the region. The move brings back one of the most experienced executives in the West African gold sector at a time when the industry is undergoing a period of restructuring and renewed investor interest. Rising gold prices and a wave of asset repositioning among mid-tier miners have created opportunities for new entrants capable of stabilising and developing projects that have struggled under previous ownership. Mansa Resources has emerged from the restructuring of certain assets previously held by Hummingbird Resources, including the Kouroussa gold mine in Guinea and the Dugbe project in Liberia. The new entity is expected to focus initially on restoring operational stability and advancing the development of these projects, with the longer-term aim of building a broader mining platform in the region. The company is supported by a shareholder group that combines regional capital with international mining finance. Among its backers is Burkinabe entrepreneur Idrissa Nassa, founder of Coris Bank International, whose banking group has expanded across several West African markets over the past decade. Through his investment structures, Nassa has gradually increased his presence in the mining sector, reflecting a broader trend of African investors taking a more direct role in resource development on the continent. For Mansa, the appointment of de Montessus signals an emphasis on operational execution and project discipline — a major hire for the group. Mining developments in West Africa often require balancing technical challenges, regulatory environments and evolving security conditions, factors that have historically made experienced leadership a key determinant of project success. De Montessus is best known for his previous role as chief executive of Endeavour Mining, where he served from 2016 until early 2024. During that period, the company expanded significantly to become one of the largest gold producers in West Africa. Production grew to more than one million ounces annually, supported by a combination of new mine developments and acquisitions across Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Senegal. His tenure coincided with a period in which the region established itself as one of the most important gold-producing areas globally. Geological formations such as the Birimian greenstone belt have attracted increasing attention from both exploration companies and established miners seeking to expand their reserves. Beyond production growth, the strategy pursued during his time at Endeavour focused on building a portfolio of long-life, relatively low-cost assets and strengthening operational discipline across the company’s sites. The approach helped position the group as one of the region’s leading operators and led to its inclusion in London’s FTSE 100 index in 2021. The environment facing Mansa Resources is different from that of a decade ago. Mining companies across Africa are navigating tighter capital markets, growing regulatory expectations from host governments and heightened attention to environmental and social standards. At the same time, the rise in gold prices in recent years has renewed interest in assets that might previously have struggled to attract financing. Investors are increasingly looking for management teams capable of delivering operational stability and managing projects through complex development cycles. Against that backdrop, the formation of Mansa Resources illustrates a broader shift in the African mining industry. Rather than relying solely on large multinational groups, the sector is seeing the emergence of more specialised platforms backed by a mix of regional capital and international investment funds. For Mansa, the immediate priority will be stabilising existing operations and advancing development plans for its core projects. If successful, the company could become another example of how experienced operators and new investment structures are reshaping the landscape of African gold mining.