Malian ministerial delegation arrives in Conakry for Simandou Mining Summit
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Africaguinée
A delegation from Mali, led by Mines Minister Amadou Keïta, arrived in Conakry on 10 November 2026 for the first Simandou Mining Summit, which opens on 11 November on Kassa Island. The visit comes as Guinea conducts an operation against illegal gold panning, which has led to the arrest of Malian nationals, according to Africaguinee.
A ministerial delegation from Mali, led by Mines Minister Prof. Amadou Keïta, arrived in Conakry on Tuesday 10 November 2026. It was welcomed by the chief of staff of Guinea’s Ministry of Mines and Geology, according to Africaguinee.com, which cites sources close to the department headed by Bouna Sylla.
The visit is part of Mali’s participation in the first Simandou Mining Summit, scheduled to open on Wednesday 11 November on Kassa Island. The chosen theme is "The mining industry, driver of economic diversification in the Simandou 2040 era".
The mission comes as Conakry is conducting a large-scale operation against illegal gold panning, initially targeting the Siguiri region and then extended to other localities. Several gold diggers, including Malians, have been arrested. Some appeared on Tuesday before the Court for the Repression of Economic and Financial Offences (CRIEF). Bamako has not officially commented on the Guinean decision, but the closure of the sites has caused, according to Africaguinee.com, an influx of illegal miners into Mali. The summit could allow the two delegations to address this issue, which tends to polarise relations between Guinea and certain members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), including Mali.
This visit follows the trial of more than 200 defendants for illegal mining in Guinea, which opened on 10 November. The day before, Bamako had described the expulsion from Guinea as "unilateral" at Kourémalé, with 160,000 arrivals.
