Sahel Edition

Guinea’s Mining Purge Echoes Mali’s Playbook, With Different GoalsF

Posted On 31 May 2025

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Guinea’s junta has launched a sweeping crackdown on mining permits, abruptly revoking over 100 licenses for bauxite, gold, iron ore, and diamond projects in a bold move to “clean up” the sector. The decision—announced in dramatic prime-time broadcasts—targets firms accused of hoarding land without development or violating Guinea’s mining code. With the world’s largest bauxite reserves but little local benefit, the military government is betting on resource nationalism to rally public support. But critics warn of risks: opaque reallocation processes, investor flight, and echoes of Mali’s recent contract purges. Is this a genuine reform or just a reshuffle of the same corrupt players? The junta’s next steps will decide whether Guinea’s mineral wealth finally reaches its people—or fuels deeper instability.

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