A 'bridge to prosperity'? Guinea's junta touts opening of mining megaproject

Vast Simandou complex has 2.8bn tonnes of iron ore deposits, but many worry about its environmental costDeep in the south of Guinea lies Simandou, an impressive mountain range with a lucrative underbelly: the world's largest untapped iron ore deposits, amounting to an estimated 2.8bn tonnes.In 2013, it was at the centre of one of the biggest mining financial scandals in history, stemming from an ownership tussle over development licenses awarded in the 1990s during the regime of the west African country's former authoritarian president Lansana Conté . Continue reading...