GUINEA: HOW ALPHA CONDE IS OVERHAULING THE MINING SECTOR


Sworn in as Guinea's president late last year, the former political dissident, Alpha Conde, has made "re-founding the Guinean nation" the leitmotif of his presidency. In the mining sector, that has meant setting out to change mining legislation and giving the government a majority stake in the businesses of each company. For their part, the mining groups are finding it hard to make contact with the new Guinean leader and to air their grievances. But with solid backing within Guinean society Conde knows he can count on his many connections to support his stance.

Alpha Conde's priority issues

AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°264 - 21/12/2011
STRATEGIES
Gold output plummets
Guinea's government isn't profiting from higher prices on the world's gold market. (...)  [111 words]   [€1,5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°262 - 23/11/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
Conde forced to suspend mining code
Adopted on Sept. 9 by the National Transition Council and promulgated the same day by the president, new mining legislation in Guinea was declared null and void by minister Mohamed Lamine Fofana on Nov. (...)  [260 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°259 - 12/10/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
Mount Nimba’s ore to be shipped out via Liberia?
Guinea’s government is going to begin talks with the EuroNimba consortium about a plan to carry out Mount Nimba’s iron out through Liberia via the Lamco concern instead of transporting it by train to a port in Guinea. (...)  [254 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°258 - 28/09/2011
STRATEGIES
Mining Code slammed
The GIM consultancy staffed by around 20 former ministers and senior civil servants and headed by Ibrahima Soumah said in a memo published in August that it regrets that new legislation adopted on Sept. (...)  [102 words]   [€1,5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°256 - 31/08/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
Conde locks up mining sector
A mere blueprint before this summer, reforms of Guinea’s mining sector speeded up in August with prodding from president Alpha Conde who appears determined to leave his mark on the industry, one the country’s biggest money-spinner. (...)  [215 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°254 - 13/07/2011
FUNDING
Mining companies still under pressure in Guinea
The election of president Alpha Conde six months ago did nothing to ease the pressure on mining companies extracting minerals in the country. (...)  [126 words]   [€1,5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°253 - 29/06/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
Nationalisation in store for Guinea?
The office of Guinea’s president has just completed drafting a new mining code (No.06/PRG/mccm/2011) that replaces a code drawn up in October, 2009 by the French group Sofreco and an inter-departmental committee on the revision of mining legislation financed by Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD). (...)  [251 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°253 - 29/06/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
Tug of war between Conakry and gold miners
A fervent supporter of Alpha Conde in the presidential election, the Association des Groupements des Orpailleurs de Guinee (AGOG) is far less enthusiastic today as it tries to arrange a meeting with the president. (...)  [186 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°253 - 29/06/2011
STRATEGIES
Civil Society demands explanations
The Association Guineenne pour la Transparence, chaired by Mamadou Taran Diallo, the national contact in Guinea for Transparency International, published a statement on June 20 demanding that the government inform the public about the penalties paid by Rio Tinto (USD 700 million) and Areeba (a mobile phone company fined EUR 15 million) and what will become of the money. (...)  [79 words]   [€1,5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°243 - 02/02/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
Misunderstanding over Kankan-Conakry railway
The operations of BSG Resources Guinea are being scrutinized by the government formed by Guinea’s new president, Alpha Conde. With Brazil’s Odebrecht poised to officially start work on rebuilding the first 40 km of the Conakry-Kankan railway in February, officials from the construction firm were “invited” to meet with the president in late December to discuss the state of play with the program. (...)  [210 words]   [€5]


Alpha Conde's connections in the mining sector

AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°259 - 12/10/2011
STRATEGIES
Fofana picks his team
The circle of former mines minister Mahmoud Thiam is getting smaller by the day. (...)  [71 words]   [€1,5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°258 - 28/09/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
All the president’s men, and mines
Mining companies operating in Guinea are coming under growing “administrative” pressure. Early September, a few days before the voting of the new mining code, president Alpha Conde, threw a spanner of sorts into the management of companies involved in mining projects by naming - without bothering to consult the firms - Guinean representatives to join their executive ranks! (...)  [276 words]   [€8]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°257 - 14/09/2011
WHO'S WHO
Aboubacar Kagbe Toure
On Sept. 2, Guinea president Alpha Conde confirmed Aboubacar Kagbe Toure in the highly coveted post of deputy managing director of Societe Guineenne du Patrimoine Miniere (SOGUIPAMI, see AMI 256). (...)  [78 words]   [FREE]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°257 - 14/09/2011
WHO'S WHO
Morcire Sylla
President Alpha Conde made a number of appointments to the mines ministry on Sept. 7, a few days before the Conseil National de la Transition adopted a new mining code (AMI 256). (...)  [230 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°254 - 13/07/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
Conde’s family ties to mining industry
Although elected president only six months ago, Alpha Conde has long had connections with the mining industry, particularly through his family.Along with farming, mining ranks as Guinea’s big money-spinner. As soon as he came to office, Conde named one of his nephews, Guillaume Curtis, secretary-general at the mines and geology ministry. (...)  [299 words]   [€8]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°253 - 29/06/2011
WHO'S WHO
Guillaume Curtis
A delegation from Guinea headed by the secretary-general of the country’s mines and geology ministry, Guillaume Curtis (who is also president Alpha Conde ’s nephew) was in China in early June to hold talks with the China Power Investment Corporation. (...)  [117 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°245 - 02/03/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
Rio Tinto’s friends talk Conde around
Saved by the bell on Feb. 23 when president Alpha Conde finally agreed to extend its exploration license on two of the Simandou blocks (AMI 242), Simfer S. (...)  [296 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°243 - 02/02/2011
WHO'S WHO
Christian Sow
The Rusal group has managed to preserve its strong connections in Guinea even though the country is now being governed by the former opposition. (...)  [204 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°242 - 19/01/2011
STRATEGIES
Mines minister with a past in oil
The mines and geology portfolio in Alpha Conde ’s new administration has gone to a figure who has, in fact, specialized in the oil sector up to now. (...)  [132 words]   [€1,5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°242 - 19/01/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
How Soros is backing new leader
According to Africa Mining Intelligence’s sources, Guinea president Alpha Conde called on billionaire George Soros early this month for assistance in pushing through reforms in the mining and oil sectors. (...)  [303 words]   FREE


A hard slog for mining companies

AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°262 - 23/11/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
Rio wants to transport Simandou iron by truck
A new bone of contention may have sprung up between Rio Tinto/Simfer and Guinea concerning the Simandou iron ore project. Since early this month Rio Tinto’s experts have been in Conakry to negotiate an accord on carrying out ore by road while the authorities have always insisted it be evacuated by rail. (...)  [334 words]   [€8]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°260 - 26/10/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
Ministry rebuffs feasibility studies
Companies operating in Guinea’s mining sector have submitted a raft of projects for feasibility studies to the country’s mines and geology ministry. (...)  [154 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°254 - 13/07/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
RusAl a re-run of Rio Tinto affair?
Relations between president Alpha Conde and the Russian group UC RusAl seem to be souring, much as they did between Conakry and Rio Tinto (AMI 253). (...)  [160 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°253 - 29/06/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
New tribulations in sight for UC Rusal
The Russian concern UC RusAl is in a tizzy in Guinea following the announcement that a Chinese group plans to build an aluminum complex at Fria near RusAl’s refinery. (...)  [298 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°252 - 15/06/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
Conakry pins hopes on Bellzone Mining
The British company Bellzone Mining Plc, a much-prized partner of China’s overseas development program in Guinea’s mining sector, has opened an office in China to oversee the infrastructure part of the development of the Kalia iron ore project. (...)  [259 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°252 - 15/06/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
Deal with Rio Tinto increasingly under fire
A “transactional” accord signed between Rio Tinto Mining Exploration Limited (RTME) and Guinea’s government on April 22 to resolve a dispute simmering between the company and Conakry since 2008 has met with sharp criticism. (...)  [342 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°251 - 01/06/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
China striking out on new projects
China International Fund’s tribulations in Guinea. (see above) don’t seem to have led China Power Investment (CPI) to rein in any of its ambitions in the country. (...)  [220 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°242 - 19/01/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
February a make-or-break month for Rio Tinto
One of the key issues facing the new mines minister, Mohamed Lamine Fofana, concerns a project to develop the Simandou iron ore project led by Rio Tinto. (...)  [241 words]   [€5]
AFRICA MINING INTELLIGENCE n°241 - 05/01/2011
EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
Conde says his election marks “re-birth of Guinea”
The inauguration ceremony of president Alpha Conde on Dec. 21 in Conakry provided an occasion for several bosses of mining companies and representatives of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to hold talks with the former opposition figure. (...)  [345 words]   [€5]



Guinea | Alpha Conde | reform | mines | mining | mining legislation
UC Rusal | Rio Tinto | Bellzone Mining | George Soros | Guillaume Curtis


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