The Guinean government confirmed Angola’s withdrawal from the bauxite exploration project in eastern Guinea-Bissau, as announced by Minister of Natural Resources Malam Sambú in an interview last week.
According to Sambú, the bauxite exploration license is now available as Angola lacked the economic means to continue the project, leaving it abandoned.
Guinea-Bissau’s geological studies suggest over 113 million tons of bauxite in the historic town of Boé, a significant source of aluminum.
The exploration license was initially granted to Bauxite Angola in 2007, but the project stalled following a coup d’état in Guinea-Bissau in 2012.
Despite attempts to resume, the project never progressed, leading to the termination of the contract in December 2022.
Currently, with the bauxite license available, there is substantial interest from Chinese, Russian, American, and French companies, creating competition for the resource, according to Minister Sambú.
