Guinea: Foreign Firms Scramble for Iron, Bauxite

Environmentalists have reacted with guarded caution to announcements of new plans to mine more bauxite and iron in Guinea. The plans were released after conclusion of the International Forum on the Mining Sector (FISM) held in this West African country last month. The meeting, held in the northeastern city of Boffa, about 130 kilometres from the Guinean capital Conakry, attracted multinational corporations such as Alcoa (the United States), Alcan (Canada), Rio Tinto (Britain) and EuroNimba with ambitious mining projects. It is hoped that these projects will stimulate Guinea’s economy, which is cash-strapped but rich in natural resources.