Guinea has taken a significant step toward modernizing its mining administration with the official launch of DAMANDA, a comprehensive digital platform for mining title management. The system was unveiled on December 20, 2024, during a ceremony in Conakry attended by mining company representatives and senior government officials.
Developed under the coordination of the Simandou Strategic Committee in collaboration with the Ministry of Mines and Geology, DAMANDA—meaning "mining career" in Malinké—represents a fundamental transformation in how Guinea manages its mineral resources. The platform aims to digitalize all aspects of mining permit management while enhancing sector governance in compliance with national legal frameworks and international best practices.
Minister of Mines and Geology Bouna Sylla emphasized the platform's strategic importance, describing it as "not merely technological progress, but a strong political act symbolizing our commitment to building modern, transparent mining governance serving the people of Guinea."
The minister highlighted Guinea's substantial mineral endowment, estimated at over 40 billion tonnes of bauxite, 20 billion tonnes of iron ore, plus significant gold, diamond, and base metal reserves. He acknowledged that realizing this potential requires breaking from past inefficiencies, stating the need to eliminate "opaque practices, administrative delays, and corruption risks that have long hindered the mining sector's development."
DAMANDA provides comprehensive digital management of mining titles through real-time, secure, and dematerialized operations. The system offers several key functionalities designed by Guinean engineers:
- Streamlined application submission and tracking for exploration, exploitation, and authorization permits
- Interactive cadastral maps displaying allocated zones, available areas, and parcels under review
- Direct access to the mining code and regulatory documentation
- Complete traceability of administrative operations from application through approval
For investors, the platform promises equitable access to opportunities, faster processing times, improved business climate, and alignment with international standards including the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining (IGF), and OECD frameworks.
The administration benefits from enhanced accountability through digitalized title management, optimized monitoring capabilities, streamlined decision-making processes, and transparent procedures for granting, renewing, and withdrawing mining titles.
The ceremony was presided over by Djiba Diakité, Minister Director of the Cabinet of the Presidency, who emphasized the cultural significance of the platform's naming. Following the precedent of other national digital initiatives like Télémo (public procurement) and Sonoya (budget execution), DAMANDA reflects Guinea's commitment to integrating ancestral values with modern governance.
Diakité positioned the launch within Guinea's broader strategic vision under President Mamadi Doumbouya, describing it as part of the Simandou 2040 program aimed at achieving "exemplary mining governance guaranteeing economic sovereignty, international standing, and sustainable heritage transmission for current and future generations."
The platform launch signals Guinea's determination to establish itself as a competitive, transparent mining jurisdiction. This initiative arrives as the country prepares for the Simandou Mining Summit, scheduled for November 11, 2026, on Kassa Island—an event expected to showcase Guinea's transformed mining governance framework to the international mining community.
DAMANDA represents more than a technological upgrade; it embodies Guinea's commitment to structural economic transformation through modernized, accountable mineral resource management aligned with global standards.
