Regime stability, social insecurity and mining in Guinea: a case study of bauxite and diamond mining (1958-2008)
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Date
29/06/2016Item status
Restricted AccessEmbargo end date
29/06/2027Author
Diallo, Penda Nene
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Abstract
This thesis explores how the mining of bauxite and diamonds enabled the
coexistence of regime stability and social insecurity in Guinea under the regimes of
Presidents Sékou Touré (1958- 1984) and Lansana Conté (1984-2008). Expanding on
Soares de Oliviera’s (2007) analytical framework of the ‘successful failed state’ and
the ‘social contract’ as developed by Nugent (2010), this thesis examines how the
Republic of Guinea, despite decades of political repression and the mismanagement
of its mineral resources, has so far not fallen victim to the extreme consequences of
the so-called ‘resource curse’.
The thesis shows that Touré and Conté avoided large-scale armed conflict by
using mineral resources to strengthen their regimes, which in turn facilitated the
emergence of different forms of ‘social contracts’. Despite the coercive nature of
both regimes, the presence of mineral resources also opened up a space for
bargaining amongst actors involved in the sector including the state, local
communities and private mining companies. As a result, a variety of ‘social
contracts’ emerged in Guinea. Whilst artisanal mining became a key source of
income for the rural population, industrial mining catered to the revenue needs of the
regime in power.
The thesis focuses specifically on bauxite and diamond mining in Guinea and
how they contributed to the coexistence of regime stability and social insecurity in
Guinea. While some studies have been undertaken on bauxite, there have not been
detailed studies of the role of diamond mining in Guinea’s post independence
political history. The thesis makes an original contribution in comparing and
contrasting the contribution of bauxite and diamond mining to larger political
dynamics. The thesis offers a clearer understanding of issues that contribute to
regime stability and how the presence of mineral resources facilitates the emergence
of different ‘social contracts’.