In Guinea, the junta takes a bauxite mine from an Emirati group

General Mamadi Doumbouya, head of the junta in Guinea, has withdrawn a bauxite mining concession operated by a subsidiary of the Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) group, which he then awarded to a new state-owned company, according to a series of decrees. Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC), a subsidiary of the Emirati mining giant, operated one of the country's largest bauxite mines in the Boké region of northwestern Guinea.

According to a decree signed by General Doumbouya and read on Guinean Radio and Television on Monday evening, August 4, "the mining concession granted to the company Guinea Alumina Corporation is and remains withdrawn as of the date of signature of this decree." The Guinean authorities justified this decision by the GAC's "non-compliance" with the obligations provided for by the country's mining code, without further details.

Mamadi Doumbouya also created a new public mining company, called Nimba Mining Company, which will now be responsible for operating the concession. This decision comes amid tightening state control over the country's natural resources. In recent months, the junta has withdrawn the operating licenses of dozens of foreign and local mining companies.

In a statement released Tuesday, EGA denounced "in the strongest terms" an "illegal and hostile takeover." According to the mining group, this decision follows the illegal suspension of GAC's activities since the fall of 2024. "This measure also constitutes a flagrant violation of GAC's contractual and legal rights. It jeopardizes more than 3,000 local jobs and calls into question the Republic of Guinea's respect for the rule of law," the company regretted.

General Doumbouya, who came to power by force after overthrowing civilian President Alpha Condé in September 2021, has made mining one of his priorities. Guinea, a West African country with rich subsoil, is considered one of the world's leading producers of bauxite, a mineral used in the production of aluminum. It also has deposits of iron, diamonds, gold, and uranium.

But the benefits of their exploitation are notoriously inequitable, largely benefiting the companies and little benefiting the population. Experts cite insufficient investment in developing a local economic fabric, the lack of essential infrastructure such as roads, reputedly endemic corruption, and shortcomings in current laws.