Guinea’s ruling junta has revoked a major bauxite mining concession from the UAE-owned Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC), placing it under state control.
Junta leader General Mamadi Doumbouya announced the decision on national television, accusing GAC of failing to comply with Guinea’s mining code.
No further explanation was provided, but the move signals a growing trend of military regimes reclaiming control over natural resources in West Africa.
GAC, a subsidiary of Emirates Global Aluminium, operated one of Guinea’s largest bauxite mines in the mineral-rich Boke region.
In a strongly worded statement, the company denounced the move as “a de facto expropriation,” warning it jeopardises over 3,000 local jobs.
GAC also accused the junta of violating its legal and contractual rights, calling the decision a blow to the rule of law in Guinea.
The government has handed control of the concession to a new state-run entity, Nimba Mining Company, overseen by the Ministry of Mines and Geology.
Since seizing power in a 2021 coup, Doumbouya has pushed for greater national oversight of Guinea’s mining wealth, much of which remains untapped.
Despite holding the world’s largest bauxite reserves, Guinea remains one of the poorest nations globally, with mining profits largely benefiting foreign firms.
Elsewhere in the region, similar crackdowns are unfolding as military governments assert sovereignty over natural resources.
In June, Niger nationalised the local subsidiary of French uranium giant Orano, citing national interest and legal disputes.
Mali’s junta has also moved to place Canadian company Barrick’s flagship gold mine under temporary state administration.
Analysts say these moves reflect a broader shift by West African juntas to reclaim economic autonomy amid growing anti-foreign sentiment.
