Reuters reported that Mr Lansana Conte president of Guinea has sacked Mr Ahmed Kante mines minister of Guiana, who had launched a major review of the country's mining development contracts.

No reason was given for the unexpected dismissal of Mr Kante, who had launched a large scale review of mining contracts in the world's biggest exporter of aluminum ore bauxite and a potentially large supplier of steelmaking raw material iron ore.

He is the latest casualty of ministerial reshuffles in the West African country which saw Mr Sam Mamady Soumah, one of Mr Conte's closest allies, sacked, reinstated and fired again at the start of the month. Mr Soumah had been instrumental in questioning the legality of the Simandou iron ore concession for Rio Tinto.