On August 4, 2020, the Collective for Change in Guinea (CTG) filed a lawsuit with France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) in Paris, accusing President Alpha Condé, his son Mohamed Condé, and Defense Minister Mohamed Diané of corruption, money laundering, and influence peddling, per CTG statements.
Lawyer Jean-Baptiste Soufron said the complaint focuses on illicit activities since 2012–13, centered in Paris and Guinea, particularly around a bauxite mining concession in Boké.
Bauxite Deal Under Scrutiny
The lawsuit alleges irregularities in a Boké bauxite concession, initially awarded to French company ARM in 2015, which then sold rights to a French-Chinese-Singaporean consortium for €171 million ($201 million), per CTG.
Ibrahim Sorel Keita, CTG’s spokesman, claimed the deal enriched Condé’s inner circle, exploiting Guinea’s mineral wealth while 70% of its 13 million people lived below the poverty line, per World Bank data. A presidency source dismissed the lawsuit as “provocation” and “slander,” alleging political timing ahead of elections.
Political Context
The lawsuit coincided with speculation that Condé, 82, would seek a third term at the Rally of the Guinean People (RPG) convention on August 5–6, 2020. A March 2020 referendum, approved by 91.59% with 61% turnout, reset term limits, sparking protests that killed at least 30, per Amnesty International. Condé, elected in 2010 as Guinea’s first democratic president, faced accusations of authoritarianism, with critics alleging fraud in his 2015 and 2020 re-elections, per UN records.
Investigation Challenges
The PNF, established in 2013 to combat financial crimes, opened a preliminary investigation in September 2020, per CTG. However, Condé’s lawyer, François Zimeray, called the lawsuit a politically motivated attack by opposition groups tied to the October 18, 2020, election, per CTG statements. The PNF’s 2024 report noted 532 convictions, including 129 for bribery-related offenses, but no specific updates on Condé’s case emerged by August 2020, per Global Legal Insights.
Guinea’s Broader Struggles
Guinea, rich in bauxite but plagued by poverty, faced instability under Condé’s rule. Allegations of mining corruption, including a 2016 Mediapart report linking Condé’s associate François de Combret to a Rio Tinto deal, fueled distrust, per Sherpa. Condé’s overthrow in a September 2021 coup, led by Mamady Doumbouya citing corruption, underscored ongoing tensions, per UNOCHA. The 2020 lawsuit reflects efforts to hold leaders accountable amid Guinea’s resource curse.
Path Forward
The CTG’s lawsuit aims to expose financial misconduct, leveraging France’s Sapin II law, which targets corruption and influence peddling, per AFA guidelines. With no convictions reported by August 2020, the investigation’s outcome remains uncertain, but it highlights Guinea’s struggle for transparency. Keita urged citizens to “wake up” to the regime’s financial realities, while Condé’s allies framed the suit as electoral sabotage, per CTG.
