Robert Friedland

Guinea
Robert Friedland shakes up his Guinea team

On 1 November, the American-Canadian mining tycoon Robert Friedland went ahead with the expected reshuffle of his management team for the project at mount Nimba in Guinea.

Ivory Coast
Canada's Sama Resources surfs nickel wave with Ivory Coast digs

Cashing in on a nickel craze driven by demand for electric vehicle batteries, Canadian mining firm Sama Resources is expanding its explorations in Ivory Coast, backed by the tycoons Robert and Govind Friedland.

The New Guard
Ivory Coast, Guinea, Sudan, Zimbabwe

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence reveals the next generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

Ivory Coast Cédric Diarra, the PM's special adviser

Guinea Baba Hady Thiam, darling of the multinationals

Sudan Fintech and Abdigani Diriye's free banking services app

Zimbabwe Ndlovu, head of African Risk Capacity

DRC
Louis Watum attempts to defuse local tensions in Kipushi

The project to resurrect the zinc and copper mine is only just getting started, but frictions with local communities over recruitment have already necessitated the intervention of Robert Friedland's trusted lieutenant in the DRC.

Guinea, Liberia
Robert Friedland hits pause button in Guinea, Liberia

The US-Canadian mining magnate is grappling with political uncertainty in Monrovia and Conakry. While waiting for things to settle down, he has suspended most of his works and has put hundreds of employees on standby.

Angola, DRC
Trafigura, Vecturis and Mota-Engil all set to restart Kolwezi-Lobito rail corridor

The consortium of the three European groups, which won the tender to run the Angolan part of the mining railway, has already begun talks with Kinshasa and the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Congolais.

Mali
Juniors on the lookout for local nickel

Mali is seeing a rise in the number of nickel exploration applications as demand for this metal essential to energy transition continues to grow across West Africa.

DRC
Taiwan tries to force the DRC to repay a 30-year-old debt

Taiwan's lawyers, who won a US court ruling in 2017 ordering the DRC to pay $57.3m for an unpaid debt dating back to 1991, are now trying to target Congolese assets in the US.

West Africa
After Friedland, Salle-Audet duo's projects spark interest of Sawiris and Eramet

Following on from Robert Friedland last year, Naguib Sawiris' La Mancha has just invested in a West Africa project of Canadian miners Benoît La Salle and Marc-Antoine Audet. French group Eramet also has its eye on a Guinean area the pair know well.

Guinea
New A-team takes over Mount Nimba iron ore project from disputed Sable Mining

Nimba Development Co has obtained the mining rights on a Guinean iron ore permit previously held by Sable Mining, which was accused of irregular practices in 2016. Several Guinean mining experts are on the Nimba board and management, among them the former head of the Simandou iron ore project and the former managing director of GAC, who is also the daughter of Guinea's transition prime minister.

Guinea, Liberia
Conakry and Monrovia set to resume talks on Nimba railway link

After having been suspended since the coup against Alpha Condé in September, talks between the two governments on the transportation of Guinean iron ore through Liberia for export are about to resume.