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Guinea

Guinea has abundant natural resources, including 50% of the world’s known bauxite reserves, along with diamonds, gold, and other metals. The country has potential for hydroelectric power generation. Industries mainly comprise processing of agricultural products. However poverty remains a problem with 40% of the population living below the national poverty line (1990-2002 average), and it is ranked 156 out of 177 countries on the UN Human Development Index 2005.

Political and Economic Situation

Following independence from France in 1958 Guinea became a one-party state governed by Sekou Toure. On his death in 1984 the military took control under Lansana Conté. Presidential and parliamentary elections took place in 1993 and Conté was declared president. He was re-elected in 1998. While President Conté was serving what would normally have been his final term in office, a constitutional amendment was approved in 2001 through a referendum removing presidential term limits. President Conté was subsequently re-elected in December 2003 for a third seven-year term. Recent violent demonstrations have marred the internal peace the country has preserved since independence, and this insecurity, coupled with the legacy of conflicts in neighbouring countries, has had an adverse impact on economic performance. In 2004 the annual GDP growth rate was 2.6%.

Guinea and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

Guinea's growth performance since the late 1990s is considered below its potential, especially given the country's natural resource endowments. Many social indicators compare poorly with neighbouring countries, for example, in 2002, only 44% of the population had access to clean drinking water, and the number of children in primary education fell from 90% in 1990 to 84% in 2001.

DFID Development Programme

The UK does not have a bilateral development programme with Guinea. We provide financial support through multilateral agencies. In 2003 UK support to Guinea through the European Union, the United Nations and World Bank amounted to an estimated £7.8 million.

Humanitarian assistance

DFID has provided significant humanitarian assistance to Guinea in recent years - £1.5 million in 2004/05 and £750,000 in 2005/06.

In 2006/07 we provided the following humanitarian funding:

• £200,000 towards a UNICEF emergency immunisation programme;
• £300,000 towards the ICRC 2006 Appeal focused on protection of detainees, regional tracing for unaccompanied children, training of the armed forces and police in International Humanitarian Law, and support to the Guinean Red Cross Society;
• £200,000 to UNHCR for care and assistance of Sierra Leonean, Ivorian and Liberian refugees based in camps.

We are currently reviewing our programme and allocation for 2007/08.

Debt

As a Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Guinea is eligible for debt relief through the HIPC Initiative, and is currently receiving interim debt relief as it progresses towards HIPC Completion Point, which will enable the country to receive a binding debt stock cancellation. Guinea is making good progress on its International Monetary Fund Staff Monitored Programme and could reach Completion Point in late 2006 or early 2007.

Links

• Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• World Bank

Last updated: 19 April 2007

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