Guinea: junta mounts pressure on two mining giants

By Rédaction Africanews

The head of Guinea’s ruling junta, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, has “imposed” a 14-day deadline for the creation of a joint venture to exploit a huge iron ore deposit, Guinean state television RTG reported.

A tripartite agreement was signed three months ago for a period of 35 years between the Guinean state, Anglo-Australian Rio Tinto Simfer and Winning Consortium Simandou, with a view to exploiting the Simandou site (south-east), one of the world’s largest iron deposits.

The agreement provides for the construction of a railway of about 670 km to link the mining corridor to a mineral port on the Guinean coast south of Conakry. They are due to be completed in December 2024. The first commercial production is expected by 31 March 2025.

“We note a gap between your vision of the implementation of the terms of the framework agreement and our expectations. This situation is not only regrettable but also unacceptable for the Guinean state,” the junta leader deplored at the weekend.

Read more of this story