Presented as the symbol of Guinea's economic transformation, the Simandou mining project is facing its first misstep.
A wave of layoffs began just a month after the site's inauguration and thousands of employees are affected.
In order to meet the deadlines set by the government, many workers and collaborators were hired in Simandou. In 2024 and 2025, more than 60,000 people were deployed on site.
The end of the project and the start of production require less labor, approximately 15,000 people will be needed to operate mines, ports and the 670 kilometer railway line.
These layoffs began in the middle of the election period. Nine candidates are in the running for the presidential election on December 28, 2025. Among them, the head of the ruling junta, Mamadi Doumbouya, who is the big favorite. The general inaugurated the launch of production in Simandou last November.
