By John Helmer, Moscow A combination of American and British commodity traders, aided by George Soros (lead image, left), is planning to oust United Company Rusal, the Russian aluminium monopoly, from its Friguia bauxite and alumina concession in the west African Republic of Guinea. The plan, according to sources in London and Conakry, the Guinean […]

Filed under: Africa-Russia, Aluminium by John Helmer - Monday, July 28th, 2014
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By John Helmer, Moscow United Company Rusal, the state aluminium monopoly controlled by Oleg Deripaska (right), has failed in a bid to ward off billion-dollar sanctions from Alpha Conde (centre), the President of Guinea, with an offer to start a cheap, new bauxite mine three years from now. Sources in Conakry, the capital of the […]

Filed under: Africa-Russia, Aluminium by John Helmer - Friday, July 18th, 2014
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By John Helmer, Moscow The text of the Guinean Government’s agreement with United Company Rusal for the prolongation of its Dian-Dian concession – one of the largest unmined bauxite deposits in the world – reveals an escape clause to enable Rusal to avoid the obligations the Guineans have been trying to enforce since the concession […]

Filed under: Africa-Russia, Aluminium, Oligarchs by John Helmer - Sunday, March 31st, 2013
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By John Helmer, Moscow Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week took a tour of Africa – Algeria, Mozambique, South Africa, and Guinea — in part because President Vladimir Putin told him to, ahead of Putin’s own visit to Africa in March. In part, Lavrov went to the Republic of Guinea at the bidding of […]

Filed under: Africa-Russia, Aluminium, Oligarchs by John Helmer - Sunday, February 17th, 2013
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By John Helmer, Moscow A group of South Africans, led by Tokyo Sexwale (image left), has devised a scheme to take over mineral assets and mining concessions in the west African republic of Guinea, which the government plans to renationalize after revoking deals struck by previous Guinean governments. The Sexwale scheme is a growing threat […]

Filed under: Africa-Russia, Aluminium, Oligarchs by John Helmer - Wednesday, June 13th, 2012
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By John Helmer, Moscow Oleg Deripaska has insulted another President of the Republic of Guinea as Rusal’s entire country position, including its bauxite mine concessions and the Friguia alumina refinery, is now under review by a presidential commission. More than 20% of Rusal’s worldwide mineral resources and the raw material base supplying its Russian smelters, […]

Filed under: Africa-Russia, Aluminium by John Helmer - Saturday, April 21st, 2012
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By John Helmer, Moscow The latest announcement by Kommersant newspaper of a deal in which the Government of Guinea relieves United Company Rusal of the billion-dollar liabilities it was facing for its bauxite exporting and alumina smelting activities in the African republic isn’t what it’s meant to look.

Filed under: Africa-Russia, Aluminium by John Helmer - Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
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By John Helmer, Moscow Oleg Deripaska has reached an agreement with President Alpha Conde to end the claims of the Guinean Government against United Company Rusal, Guinean sources report from Conakry. The terms of settlement remain secret; some of them are expected to be announced publicly soon.

Filed under: Africa-Russia, Aluminium, Oligarchs by John Helmer - Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
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By John Helmer, Moscow In the finale of the film Casablanca, the Humphrey Bogart character has shot the German officer to enable his ex-lover Ilsa and her husband, a Resistance man on the run, to make good their escape. Captain Renault sees an opportunity to do the right thing for a change, protecting Bogey and […]

Filed under: Africa-Russia, Aluminium by John Helmer - Sunday, July 24th, 2011
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By John Helmer, Moscow Yesterday’s report on the Guinean President’s ultimatum to Rusal to use or lose the giant Dian-Dian bauxite deposit has drawn fresh sources with additional information, confirming the deterioration in Rusal’s hold on its concession agreement. According to Vladislav Soloviev, Oleg Deripaska’s first deputy at Rusal headquarters in Moscow, his company is […]

Filed under: Africa-Russia, Aluminium by John Helmer - Thursday, June 30th, 2011
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