Conakry to authorise GIC and Sinohydro to restart operations at the Guinea bauxite mining complex

Guinea’s authorities have approved the restarting of bauxite operations by Guinea International Corp (GIC), led by the former Mining Minister Ahmed Kanté, and its Chinese partner Sinohydro. Given that legal proceedings against Kanté are ongoing, stakeholders are surprised by the decision. This follows the signing of a confidential settlement agreement with the Ministry of Mines in December 2025. 

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GIC and Chinese private firm Sun-Da Mining (SD Mining) operate within the Alliance Guinéenne de Bauxite, Alumine et Aluminium (AGB2A) complex in Boffa prefecture, which is the second-largest bauxite mining hub in Guinea. GIC and SD Mining jointly exported more than 20 million tonnes of bauxite in 2024, a record second only to Société Minière de Boké (SMB), which exported 55 million tonnes the same year. 

Operations from standstill to resumption

Operations at GIC were halted on April 1, 2025, under a verdict issued by the financial crimes court, the Cour de Répression des Infractions Économiques et Financières (CRIEF). However, on December 26, Kanté oversaw a ceremony that marked the resumption of activities, despite the case remaining unresolved.

On September 2, 2025, CRIEF overturned an earlier acquittal of Kanté and referred the matter back for further investigation on charges of breach of trust. Kanté has since appealed to Guinea’s Supreme Court. His legal team, including Kanté’s lawyer, Aboubacar Sidiki Kanté, and the Ministry of Mines, declined to comment on the matter. 

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Kanté's entourage stated that talks on restarting activities at the AGB2A mining sites began on “the instructions of President Mamadi Doumbouya,” and a settlement agreement with the Ministry of Mines was to be signed in December 2025.

Voicing support for Kanté, a GIC official in Boffa stated, "Ahmed Kanté has done a lot to earn the trust and esteem of the authorities to resume his activities.”

Sinohydro is reportedly providing the funds required under the settlement agreement. SD Mining is also said to have reached a similar arrangement with the authorities after prolonged negotiations.

Pending authorisation

While both companies have announced the resumption of operations, they have not yet received formal authorisation to reopen mining activities or exports. According to a former partner of Kanté, Alex Zotov from Russia, GIC is believed to have around 4 million tonnes of bauxite stockpiled and ready for shipment.

To fully restart production, both companies must secure operating licences, as they currently operate under a lease arrangement linked to Axis Minerals. GIC has indicated it is in the process of transitioning to “a fully-fledged mining company,” pending regulatory approval, which is “in the process of being resolved so that the State can grant GIC an operating licence.”

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