These are both radical and unprecedented decisions. During a meeting with mining companies operating in Guinea last Friday, the Guinean president, Army General Mamadi Doumbouya, announced a ban on the export of the country's raw gold and the obligation to refine it locally.

"I want this to be perfectly understood by all players in the sector. From now on, all gold produced in Guinean mines must be refined in Conakry before being exported. The export of raw gold will be formally and definitively prohibited," declared the tenant of the Mohamed V Palace.

"Those responsible will be held accountable for their actions before the Guinean justice system."

He then warned operators who would dare to violate this strategic direction. "Offenders will answer for their actions before Guinean justice. There will be no exceptions, no negotiations, and no going back," he cautioned.

In addition to legal proceedings, Doumbouya informs that permits may be suspended and mining agreements called into question.

It must be said that the Guinean authorities are not putting the cart before the horse in this matter. The country already has a modern refinery: the Nimba Gold Refinery. It will be operational in the coming days, the Guinean head of state announced.

 

"Guinea will no longer be content to be merely a supplier of raw materials for factories in the rest of the world."

 

For him, "this infrastructure marks the beginning of a new era," that of a Guinea which will no longer be content to be a simple supplier of raw materials destined for factories in the rest of the world.

He ultimately reassured foreign investors: “I am not against foreign investment. Guinea needs serious, committed partners who respect its strategic interests. Look at the projects we are developing today, particularly in Simandou, Boffa, and Boké. This country is undergoing profound change. But this change must primarily benefit Guineans. A strong national consciousness cannot be negotiated at the table of special interests,” declared the strongman of Conakry.