Russian companies in Guinea finding it hard to operate as usual after coup - Russian embassy

MOSCOW. Sept 6 (Interfax) - Russian companies in Guinea are finding it hard to operate as usual following the coup in that country, and the Russian embassy in Conakry is waiting for the situation to be clarified, an embassy representative told Interfax on Monday.

"It's difficult to operate as usual here, because there is absolutely no clarify. We still hope that something will become clear today, tomorrow, or in the coming days, and we will act consistent with the situation," embassy press-attache Rodion Sadykov said.

Sadykov said they have not received any complaints from the staff of Russian companies in Guinea, and "there are no threats to either them or the embassy."

There have been no direct contacts between the embassy and the insurgents who have seized power in Guinea, Sadykov said. "For now, we are sizing up the new authorities. It isn't quite clear how things might turn out, and there is no clarity as concerns the political situation in the country," he said.

The Guinean military seized power and arrested President Alpha Conde on September 5. Later, the borders were closed, the government and the parliament were dissolved, and the constitution was suspended.

Russian companies are mining gold and bauxites (according to various estimates, Guinea has up to 50% of global bauxite ore reserves). Aluminum prices at the London Metal Exchange spiked to a ten-year maximum and Rusal shares began growing on the Moscow Exchange against the backdrop of the coup.