IFC has an active project with Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG) to support the expansion of the Sangaredi bauxite mine, processing plant, and related infrastructure through a senior debt facility. CBG is 49% owned by the Government of Guinea and 51% owned by Halco Mining Inc., a consortium of aluminum producers including Alcoa, Rio Tinto, and Dadco.

In February 2019, CAO received a complaint submitted by community members neighboring the expansion of the Sangaredi mine in Guinea. The complaint raised concerns related to uncompensated land loss and displacement, impacts on livelihoods, community safety risks, air and water pollution, and inadequate consultation, information disclosure, and the effectiveness of CBG’s grievance mechanism.

The complaint was supported by the Centre de Commerce International pour le Développement (CECIDE), the Association pour le Développement Rural et l’Entraide Mutuelle de Guinée (ADREMGUI), and Inclusive Development International (IDI).

In March 2019, CAO found the complaint eligible and conducted an assessment. During the assessment process, the complainants and the company expressed interest in engaging in a voluntary CAO-led dispute resolution process to address the issues raised in the complaint. Following CAO’s assessment, the case was transferred to CAO’s Dispute Resolution function in August 2019. The Assessment Report is available in English and French, along with IFC’s formal response.

Since August 2019, CAO conducted a series of capacity-building workshops with the parties to prepare them for dialogue and to begin discussions on the ground rules for the process. In February 2020, the CAO mediation team traveled to Guinea to continue engagement with the parties. The first in-person joint meeting, scheduled for April 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CAO continued to engage with the parties through bilateral meetings, and the parties later agreed on modalities for participating in online joint meetings. Between August and November 2020, CAO facilitated five online joint meetings, during which the parties discussed the Ground Rules Agreement. The agreement was finalized in December 2020 and guides the parties’ engagement on the social and environmental issues raised in the complaint. The agreement is available in English & French.

Between December 2020 and October 2021, CAO facilitated six joint sessions focused on the first substantive issue of the complaint related to the impacts of CBG’s blasting activities. The parties reached an agreement (Available in English & French) on this issue on October 28, 2021, and issued a joint public statement (Available in English, French and Pular) 

In October 2021, the parties began discussions on the second substantive issue concerning access to and quality of water. The parties also agreed to appoint an independent expert to monitor the impacts of blasting activities and provide recommendations on remedial measures. The Terms of Reference for the expert are available in English and French.

In May 2025, the parties reached an agreement on one of the issues raised in the complaint related to stakeholder engagement. The agreement sets out how CBG and representatives of the affected communities will regularly share information, consult, manage grievances, and support community participation to address the impacts of mining activities through agreed engagement and complaint-handling mechanisms. The agreement and Appendix 1 are available in English and French, and Appendix 2 is available in English and French.