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Strikes held to protest the rule of ailing Guinean President Lansana Conte have disrupted the country's production of bauxite, a mineral that is processed into aluminum. Output was stopped Jan. 22 at Guinea's largest mining operation, a consortium led by U.S. firm Alcoa and Canadian firm Alcan Inc. Production has continued at Guinea's other two major bauxite mines, both of which are operated by the Russian Aluminum Group (RUSAL), despite widespread protests and strikes. With political and economic reforms expected to follow Conte's death, resignation or removal, RUSAL will ensure that any reforms affecting the country's strategic mineral sector play out to its advantage.
Union workers, led by the National Confederation of Guinean Workers and the Guinean Workers Union, began demonstrating Jan. 10 against Conte's increasingly oppressive and erratic rule. Conte, who seized power in a 1984 coup, managed to transition the country to civilian rule in 1993 but instituted strict censorship of the media and kept a firm hand on opposition and student groups. Conte reinforced his hold on power by successfully amending the country's constitution in 2001 to extend the presidential term from five to seven years and remove presidential term limits.
But Conte's deteriorating health has weakened his grip on power. The president was flown to Morocco in April 2006 and Switzerland in August 2006 for treatment related to diabetes, kidney disease and prostate cancer. His decreasing number of public appearances has led many to believe his days are numbered.
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