What happens to Guinea’s gold has consequences for democracy

Half a year after the 2021 coup in Guinea, the military junta has attempted to control the National Bank’s foreign-stored gold reserves. Relatedly, a tug-of-war has ensued over the financing and resources allocated to democratic parties in view of promised elections. To transition into a successful democracy, Roland Benedikter writes that a key challenge is therefore reordering natural gold and resource management, linked to effective financial and infrastructural development needed to hold fair elections.