The Government of Guinea has officially withdrawn the mining concession held by Guinea Alumina Corporation SA (GAC), one of the country’s largest bauxite producers, citing multiple breaches of its contractual and legal obligations under the national Mining Code.
The announcement was made through a series of decrees read on Monday, August 4, 2025.
The decision brings an abrupt end to GAC’s operations in the Boké region, where it had been granted one of Guinea’s most significant mining concessions. Originally assigned to Global Alumina in 2005 and transferred to GAC in 2006, the concession has now been revoked without compensation.
“Due to non-compliance with the provisions of the Mining Code, in particular Article 88 of the Basic Agreement of 15 October 2004, the mining concession granted to the company Global Alumina and transferred to the company Guinea Alumina Corporation SA is and remains withdrawn, as of the date of signature of this decree,” the official statement reads.
According to the decree, the concession has been permanently removed from the country’s mining cadastre. “This mining concession is no longer registered in the mining cadastre of the Republic of Guinea,” it states.
Article 3 of the same decree confirms that all legal rights attached to the mining title are extinguished. “The domain and substance covered by the said mining concession revert to the State free of charge, free and clear of any claim made to future rights, interests and benefits.”
Furthermore, the government is demanding the return of all geological and mining data collected during GAC’s operation on the site. “[…] must be returned to the Guinean State without any compensation,” according to Article 4, which underscores a renewed emphasis on national control over strategic subsoil information.
Responsibility for implementing the decree has been assigned to the Mining Promotion and Development Center (CPDM), the National Directorate of Mines and Quarries, the National Directorate of Geology, and regional mining authorities in Boké.
This move forms part of Guinea’s wider campaign to tighten regulatory oversight in its lucrative mining sector. Over recent years, authorities have pledged to hold companies accountable for failing to meet legal, environmental, or operational obligations tied to mining agreements.
GAC, a subsidiary of the Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) group, has invested over $1 billion into its Guinean operations. It has been a major exporter of bauxite, the ore used to produce aluminium, and played a central role in the country’s mining landscape.
The revocation of such a high-profile concession sends a strong message to other industry players: adherence to the Mining Code and respect for contractual commitments are non-negotiable. While the future of the concession area remains unclear, the precedent set by this decision is expected to resonate across Guinea’s entire extractive sector.
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