Guinea’s long-awaited Simandou iron ore project, championed by the country’s military rulers as a cornerstone of economic renewal, is laying off thousands of workers even as it starts exporting ore for the first time. The contradiction has fuelled anger and anxiety across mining communities that had hoped the mega project would deliver lasting prosperity after decades of delays and corruption scandals.
The project was officially launched in November with national celebrations and a public holiday, weeks before Guinea’s first elections since the 2021 coup that brought junta leader Mamady Doumbouya to power. Doumbouya, now standing for president and widely expected to win, has tied his political legacy to Simandou, presenting it as proof that military rule can deliver economic transformation.
According to reporting by Reuters, the workforce reductions began quietly as construction neared completion. Interviews with workers, former employees and senior company sources indicate that thousands of jobs are being eliminated, with the scale of the layoffs likely to be sharper than at comparable mining projects elsewhere. Employment peaked at more than 60,000 in 2024 and 2025 as contractors rushed to meet deadlines imposed by the military government, but fewer than 15,000 workers will be needed to operate the mines, ports and the newly built 670-kilometre railway.
Simandou is expected to produce around 120 million metric tons of iron ore annually, roughly 7% of global demand. Yet the way the project was built has intensified the employment shock. Construction was carried out simultaneously along the entire railway route, rapidly inflating the workforce before triggering what one executive described to Reuters as a sudden drop “off a cliff” once major works finished.
The project is split between two consortia. One is led by Rio Tinto, while the other, Winning Consortium Simandou, is made up largely of Chinese companies. Rio Tinto said its Simfer joint venture employed around 25,000 workers during construction, most of them Guinean, but expects to need only about 6,000 for operations. The Winning consortium did not comment on its workforce plans.
For communities around the project, the consequences are already visible. Workers told Reuters that in the town of Dantilia, 8,000 of 10,000 employees have lost their jobs in the past three months, with the rest facing imminent dismissal. In nearby Kamara, around 1,500 workers have already been let go. Many say there are no alternative jobs in regions with limited infrastructure and few safety nets.
The sudden demobilisation has also raised safety and security concerns. Western company sources told Reuters they fear reduced staffing could increase accident risks and trigger social unrest. Community tensions are already high along the railway, where trains have killed livestock, prompting anger among residents who depend on cattle for their livelihoods. Risk assessments have flagged dangers of people and animals straying onto tracks, forcing companies to add fencing that was not part of the original design.
The safety record has come under scrutiny before. Reuters reported earlier this year that at least a dozen workers died during railway construction between mid-2023 and late 2024, along with several local residents killed in traffic accidents linked to the project. Mining minister Bouna Sylla has said the government is enforcing strict safety and environmental standards, but concerns persist.
Officials acknowledge the pain caused by the layoffs while urging patience. Sylla has pointed to future infrastructure projects, including roads, refineries and power plants, though he has offered no clear timelines. The government is promoting “Simandou 2040,” a 15-year plan it says will turn Guinea into a diversified economy, funded partly by mining revenues and private investment.
Despite the optimism, doubts remain over whether Simandou will transform living standards in one of the world’s poorest countries. World Bank data show more than half of Guinea’s population lives in poverty, despite its vast mineral wealth. An IMF study published last year projected that Simandou could lift Guinea’s GDP by 26% by 2030, but warned that poverty reduction would be marginal without strong policies and could even worsen inequality, particularly in rural areas.
Nearly three decades after exploration began, Simandou is finally shipping iron ore to the world. For many Guineans, however, the long wait for prosperity now risks being followed by a deep sense of betrayal.
