‘Before, the land sustained us’: Who benefits from Guinea’s bauxite wealth?

Key Takeaways

• The country has vast reserves of the ore that is a source material for aluminium.
• But citizens still languish in poverty.
• Bembou Silaty, Guinea – Mamadou Aliou walks through the small village of Bembou Silaty in northwestern Guinea carrying an irresolvable contradiction.
• The 38-year-old works in the environmental health and safety department for a bauxite mining company, yet he is also an activist striving to improve life in his community, which often means criticising the actions of another mining company in the area.
• “Before these companies arrived, we cultivated our land, and it sustained us,” Aliou told Al Jazeera.