In a few weeks, Guinea will export its first shipments of iron ore. It will officially launch the production, several decades after the discovery of these deposits in the south-east of the country.

A titanic mining project promises to propel this Poor country in West Africa among the largest exporters of iron global, raising the hope of boosting the country's economy but also the concern of local populations about the environmental and social impact of the project.

To open up this region located hundreds of kilometers of Atlantic coastline, 18.5 billion euros were needed investments from industrial partners, the construction of more than 650 kilometers of railways and a port.

The price of iron ore, which is used to manufacture steel, has exploded since the beginning of the 2000s, boosted by the fever of Chinese construction.