The Guinean military and paramilitary forces have recently received several dozen Streit Group Cougar and Spartan armoured vehicles, acquired under the leadership of the country’s military junta. The armoured vehicles arrived in Guinea last December, as part of a significant deal involving the exchange of mineral resources for military equipment.
Major Contract and Mineral Concessions
In June 2023, the Emirati Streit Group secured a major contract to supply Guinean junta leader Mamady Doumbouya’s army, special forces, gendarmerie, and police with several dozen armoured vehicles. The contract, valued at approximately 150 million euros, was facilitated by the contacts of a discreet broker. Due to financial constraints, the Guinean government offered concessions for the exploitation of its mineral deposits, particularly bauxite, in exchange for the armoured vehicles.
Details of the Agreement
According to the preliminary agreement, Streit Group, led by businessman Guerman Goutorov, a dual Russian-Canadian citizen, is to supply several hundred light armoured vehicles. The delivery reportedly includes 200 Spartan armoured personnel carriers (APCs), 200 Cougar vehicles, 150 Toyota TLC79 and TLC300 pick-ups, and approximately 20 Triton 850 armed patrol boats.
The deal was finalized by September 2023, with bauxite mining counterparties potentially granted as part of the payment for the vehicles. Guinea, ruled by a military junta since September 2021 under Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, has long been an outpost for Emirati economic and diplomatic penetration into the region.
The deal is not without controversy within Guinea’s military high command. The dismissal of General Sadiba Koulibaly, the former chief of staff of the armed forces, is a striking example. Officially removed for unapproved public interventions, it appears that his reluctance to sign the UAE deal and his concerns about the potential sale of Guinea’s natural resources played a key role in his removal.
Strategic and Security Implications
The increased incursions by jihadist groups from neighboring Mali since early 2023 have heightened military activities, particularly in the northern province of Moyenne-Guinée. These jihadists often target mining sites along the border, posing a threat to foreign companies operating in Guinea, including those from France, the United States, and Japan.
For years, the Emirates have viewed Guinea as a strategic outpost for their economic and diplomatic initiatives in West Africa. This is evidenced by the visit of Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan al-Nahyan, delegate for Africa of the Emirati Foreign Ministry, to Conakry in September. He met with Guinea’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Mines, Morissanda Kouyaté and Moussa Magassouba, and was received by President Doumbouya at the Mohammed V Palace.
Key Figures and Companies Involved
Streit Group has long been active in the African defense market and maintains contact with key figures within the Guinean military junta. Major Mouctar Kaba, alias “Spartacus,” commander of the special forces, and Mohamed Samba Kébé, an officer in charge of the demining section of the Ministry of Defense, played pivotal roles in facilitating the deal. They introduced an Emirati brokerage firm called Havana to Conakry, which was founded in early 2023 to manage the new phase of economic relations between Conakry and Abu Dhabi.
On the Guinean side, the company directly involved in the negotiations is Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC), operating in the Boké region. GAC is owned by Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), a subsidiary of the sovereign fund Mubadala Investment Company, and by Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), although the Guinean government has held the majority stake since 2013.
Future Prospects
Since 2020, GAC has been shipping bauxite to Emirates Global Aluminium’s refineries and smelters in the Emirates. However, Abu Dhabi’s promise to invest in the construction of a refinery in Guinea has yet to be fulfilled.
Following the opening of a military production facility in Uganda over the summer, Streit Group is now expanding its presence in West Africa. The facility, built in partnership with the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), will produce and maintain a wide range of armoured vehicles for the Ugandan army and the international market.