Foreign relations of Guinea

The foreign relations of Guinea, including those with its West African neighbors, have improved steadily since 1985.^[1]

Diplomatic history

Guinea re-established relations with France and West Germany in 1975, and with neighboring Ivory Coast and Senegal in 1978.^[2] Guinea has been active in efforts toward regional integration and cooperation, especially regarding the Organisation of African Unity and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).^{[citation needed]}

Guinea has participated in both diplomatic and military efforts to resolve conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau, and contributed contingents of troops to peacekeeping operations in all three countries as part of ECOMOG, the Military Observer Group of ECOWAS.^[3] In the 1990s, Guinea hosted almost a million refugees fleeing the civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia.^[4] As of 2004, Guinea maintained a policy of unrestricted admission to refugees.^[4]

Guinea is also a member of the International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the United States military (as covered under Article 98).^[5]

2009 ambassador recall

On 5 May 2009, President Moussa Dadis Camara, who seized power in a bloodless coup which followed the 22 December 2008 death of President Lansana Conté, announced the recall of 30 of Guinea's ambassadors to other countries.^[6] The order was made by a presidential decree on state television and was the first major diplomatic move made by the new leader.^[6]

The decision affected ambassadors to the United States, South Korea, the People's Republic of China, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Egypt, South Africa, Italy, Japan, Brazil, Cuba, Switzerland, Serbia, Malaysia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Senegal, Nigeria, Libya, Ghana, Algeria, Morocco, Gabon, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau, comprising almost all of Guinea's foreign embassies.^[6][7][8] The Guinean representatives to the European Union, the United Nations and the African Union were also affected.^[6][7]

No reason was stated for the recall.^[7] The Tocqueville Connection states: "Most of the ambassadors were appointed by former prime minister Lansana Kouyaté, in office from February 2007 until May 2008,"^[7] raising the possibility that the recall was an attempt on the part of Camara to distance himself from the previous government.

In late March 2009, the Guinean ambassador to Serbia faced expulsion for personal involvement in cigarette smuggling (1,000 packs of cigarettes were found in his BMW) but avoided arrest due to diplomatic immunity (although he was declared as persona non grata).^[9]

2021 coup d'etat

The September 5, 2021 coup d'état brought swift condemnation and threats of sanctions from the United Nations, the African Union, the West African regional bloc ECOWAS (which suspended Guinea), and close allies of Guinea—as well as the United States—among others.^[10][11][12] China, uncharacteristically, also openly opposed the coup.^[13]

Further information: 2021 Guinean coup d'état

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Guinea maintains diplomatic relations with:

#	Country	Date
1	Russia	4 October 1958[14]
2	North Korea	8 October 1958[15]
3	Vietnam	9 October 1958[16]
4	Albania	October 1958[17]
5	Romania	14 November 1958[18]
6	Ghana	1958[19]
7	Bulgaria	2 January 1959[20]
8	Israel	12 January 1959[21]
9	France	21 January 1959[22]
10	United States	13 February 1959[23]
11	Czech Republic	14 February 1959[24]
12	Hungary	26 February 1959[25]
13	Liberia	6 March 1959[26]
14	United Kingdom	28 May 1959[27][failed verification]
15	Poland	29 June 1959[28]
16	Germany	30 July 1959[29]
17	China	4 October 1959[30][31]
18	Serbia	10 November 1959[32][33]
19	Italy	5 December 1959[34]
20	Egypt	1959[35][36]
21	Morocco	1959[37]
22	Netherlands	1959[38]
23	Belgium	28 January 1960[39]
24	Mongolia	22 April 1960[40]
25	Indonesia	27 April 1960[41]
26	Lebanon	3 June 1960[42]
27	India	8 July 1960[43]
28	Switzerland	19 July 1960[44]
29	Cuba	30 August 1960[45]
30	Mali	3 March 1961[46]
31	Ivory Coast	21 March 1961[47]
32	Saudi Arabia	15 May 1961[48]
33	Senegal	9 June 1961[49]
34	Finland	19 July 1961[50]
35	Norway	21 July 1961[51]
36	Sudan	24 August 1961[52]
37	Nigeria	August 1961[53]
38	Togo	7 September 1961[54]
39	Sierra Leone	20 October 1961[55]
40	Denmark	1 December 1961[56]
41	Mexico	25 January 1962[57]
42	Benin	26 February 1962[58]
43	Niger	20 March 1962[59]
44	Canada	28 March 1962[60]
45	Ethiopia	22 June 1962[61]
46	Tunisia	30 June 1962[62]
47	Mauritania	15 August 1962[63]
48	Japan	9 September 1962[64]
49	Luxembourg	12 September 1962[65]
50	Turkey	11 October 1962[66]
51	Sweden	26 November 1962[67]
52	Chile	26 August 1963[68]
53	Cameroon	13 September 1963[69]
54	Burkina Faso	1963[70][71]
55	Pakistan	1963[72]
56	Algeria	24 January 1964[73]
57	Kuwait	12 March 1964[74]
58	Argentina	8 September 1964[75]
59	Iraq	18 October 1964[76]
60	Syria	29 November 1964[77]
61	Spain	10 February 1965[78]
62	Venezuela	16 March 1965[79]
63	Jordan	17 May 1966[80]
64	Uganda	22 July 1966[81]
65	Tanzania	22 December 1966[82]
66	Austria	1966[83]
67	Democratic Republic of the Congo	1966[84]
68	Kenya	14 June 1967[85]
69	Burundi	28 June 1967[86]
70	Rwanda	28 June 1967[87]
71	Zambia	10 November 1967[88]
72	Libya	26 March 1968[89]
73	Republic of the Congo	1 July 1968[90]
74	Chad	29 August 1968[91]
75	Guyana	8 June 1970[92]
76	Iran	26 April 1971[93]
77	Gambia	6 August 1971[94]
78	Madagascar	26 December 1972[95]
79	Panama	29 March 1973[96]
80	Mauritius	29 October 1973[97]
81	Trinidad and Tobago	1973[98]
82	Bahrain	5 January 1974[99]
83	Guinea-Bissau	12 February 1974[100]
84	Brazil	4 September 1974[101]
85	Peru	8 January 1975[102]
86	Jamaica	30 January 1975[103]
87	Mozambique	25 June 1975[104]
88	Cape Verde	8 July 1975[105]
89	Angola	11 November 1975[106]
90	Gabon	30 October 1976[107]
91	Equatorial Guinea	1977[108]
92	Eswatini	1977[109]
93	Greece	1977[110]
94	Seychelles	4 April 1978[111]
95	Djibouti	7 August 1978[112]
96	Portugal	2 January 1979[113]
97	Lesotho	1 November 1979[114]
98	Malta	30 March 1980[115]
99	Zimbabwe	30 April 1980[116]
100	Oman	17 February 1981[117]
101	Comoros	11 August 1981[118]
102	Laos	15 October 1981[119]
103	Malaysia	29 September 1982[120]
104	Philippines	8 October 1982[121]
105	Haiti	10 January 1983[122]
106	Maldives	8 April 1983[123]
107	Thailand	15 April 1983[124]
108	Nicaragua	5 July 1983[125]
109	Bangladesh	27 February 1985[126]
—	Holy See	21 June 1986[127]
—	Sovereign Military Order of Malta	24 June 1986[128]
110	Bolivia	15 December 1987[129]
111	Qatar	1 January 1988[130]
112	Colombia	30 September 1988[131]
113	Sri Lanka	6 August 1991[132]
114	Estonia	10 February 1992[133]
115	Moldova	16 February 1992[134]
116	Azerbaijan	11 March 1992[135]
117	Belarus	4 April 1992[136]
118	Kazakhstan	4 April 1992[137]
119	Ukraine	4 April 1992[138]
120	Lithuania	27 April 1992[139]
121	Armenia	27 August 1992[140]
122	Guatemala	12 February 1993[131]
123	Slovakia	16 March 1993[141]
124	Cambodia	6 June 1993[142]
125	Uzbekistan	24 June 1993[143]
126	Tajikistan	27 December 1993[144]
127	South Africa	16 February 1995[145]
128	United Arab Emirates	2 June 1995[146]
129	Bosnia and Herzegovina	9 April 1996[147]
130	Slovenia	11 December 1996[148]
131	Latvia	17 January 1997[149]
132	North Macedonia	28 November 1997[150]
133	Croatia	8 December 1997[131]
134	Georgia	31 July 1998[131]
135	Namibia	18 September 2002[151]
136	Iceland	14 May 2004[131]
137	Australia	17 June 2004[152]
138	Cyprus	20 December 2005[153]
139	South Korea	28 August 2006[154]
140	Suriname	28 August 2006[155]
141	Montenegro	17 November 2006[156]
142	Botswana	20 April 2007[131]
143	Uruguay	19 June 2007[157]
144	Brunei	8 August 2007[158]
145	Dominican Republic	28 September 2007[159]
146	Costa Rica	1 October 2007[160]
147	Ireland	30 June 2008[161]
148	Fiji	27 January 2011[131]
149	Solomon Islands	11 August 2011[131]
150	Kyrgyzstan	8 September 2015[162]
151	Liechtenstein	11 December 2015[163]
152	Singapore	24 February 2016[164]
153	New Zealand	20 April 2016[165]
154	Nepal	12 May 2016[131]
155	Myanmar	6 June 2017[131]
156	Eritrea	8 February 2019[166]
—	Kosovo	20 February 2020[167]
157	Paraguay	15 June 2021[168]
158	Monaco	3 April 2025[169]
159	Central African Republic	Unknown
—	State of Palestine	Unknown
160	São Tomé and Príncipe	Unknown[170]
161	Somalia	Unknown[171]
162	South Sudan	Unknown
163	Yemen	Unknown

Bilateral relations

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Australia	2004	Both countries established diplomatic relations in 2004[172] Australia and Guinea share close interests in the mining sector. They are the two largest bauxite producers in the world (see List of countries by bauxite production) and were founding signatories in the 1970s of the (now defunct) International Bauxite Agreement. Australian companies are involved in developing the Guinean mining sector. Guinea is accredited to Australia, through its embassy in Tokyo.[173] Australia is accredited to Guinea, through its embassy in Accra, Ghana.[174]
Benin	26 February 1962	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 February 1962 when first Ambassador of Guinea to Dahomey Mr. Leon Maka presented his credentials to President Maga.[58]
Canada	28 March 1962	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 March 1962[60] Canada is accredited to Guinea from its embassy in Dakar, Senegal.[175] Guinea has an embassy in Ottawa.[176]
Chad	29 August 1968	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 29 August 1968 when Guinea's first Ambassador to Chad, Mr. Filly Cissoko, presented his credentials to President Tombolbaye[91]
China	4 October 1959	See China–Guinea relations The People's Republic of China and the Republic of Guinea established diplomatic relations on October 4, 1959, making Guinea the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to establish formal relations with China.[31] China has become heavily dependent upon Guinea for bauxite (aluminum ore) -- Guinea's principal export—consuming half of it.[13]
Comoros	11 August 1981	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 11 August 1981 when Ambassador of Guinea M. Moussa Doumbouya, has presented his credentials to President of Comoros M. Ahmed Abdallah Abderemane.[118]
Republic of Congo	1 July 1968	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 July 1968 when Guinea's Ambassador to the Congo Republic, M. Fily Sissoko, presented his credentials to President Massamba-Debat.[90]
Cote d'Ivoire	21 March 1961	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 21 March 1961,[47] was were broken in September 1973 and re-established on 14 April 1978[177]
France	21 January 1959	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 21 January 1959 and appointed M. Nobi Youla as first ambassador of Guinea to France and M. Francis Hure appointed as chargé d'affaires of France to Guinea[22] France has an embassy in Conakry.[178] Guinea has an embassy in Paris.[179]
Germany	30 July 1959	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 30 July 1959[29] See Germany–Guinea relations Germany has an embassy in Conakry. Guinea has an embassy in Berlin.
Ghana	1958	Guinea has an embassy in Accra, which was opened in 1958.[19] Ghana has an embassy in Conakry which is also accredited to Guinea-Bissau.[180]
Haiti	10 January 1983	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 January 1983 when first Ambassador of Guinea to Haiti (resident in New York) Mr. Alpha Ibrahima Diallo presented his credentials to President Jean Claude Duvalier[122]
Indonesia	27 April 1960	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 April 1960[41] Indonesia's embassy in Dakar, Senegal is accredited to Guinea. Guinea's embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is accredited to Indonesia.[181]
Israel	12 January 1959	See Guinea–Israel relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 January 1959.[21] Guinea broke off diplomatic relations with Israel on 12 June 1967[182] They resumed diplomatic relations on 20 July 2016[183]
Liberia	6 March 1959	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 6 March 1959 when Mr. Edward Peal, the Liberian Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea, presented his credentials to President S. Toure.[26] Guinea has an embassy in Monrovia, which was opened in 1959.[19] Liberia has an embassy in Conakry.
Malaysia	1993	Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1993.[184] Malaysia has an embassy in Conakry. Guinea has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur.[185]
Mexico	25 January 1962	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 January 1962[57] Guinea is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Havana, Cuba.[186] Mexico is accredited to Guinea from its embassy in Abuja, Nigeria.[187]
Namibia	18 September 2002	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 September 2002 when has been accredited non-resident Ambassador of Guinea to Namibia Mr. Alexandre CeCe Loua.[151]
North Korea	8 October 1958	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 8 October 1958[15] North Korea has an embassy in Conakry.
Rwanda	28 June 1967	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 June 1967 when Guinean ambassador to Rwanda M. Fily Cissoko, has presented his credentials to President Kiyibanda.[87]
Serbia	10 November 1959	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 November 1959[32][33] Serbia is accredited to Guinea, through its embassy in Algiers, Algeria. Guinea has an embassy in Belgrade.[188]
Sierra Leone	20 October 1961	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 20 October 1961 when Mr. Abdoul Karim, Ambassador of Sierra Leone to Guinea presented his credentials to President Sekou Toure.[55]
Somalia		In 2019, Somalia suspended diplomatic relations with Guinea after President Alpha Conde invited Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi to visit Guinea.[189] Diplomatic relations were reestablished on 22 September 2024.[171]
South Korea	28 August 2006	Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Guinea were established on 28 August 2006.[154] The number of South Koreans living in Guinea in 2011 was 70.[190] Guinea is accredited to South Korea, through its embassy in Tokyo.[173] South Korea is accredited to Guinea, through its embassy in Dakar, Senegal.
Sudan	24 August 1961	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 August 1961 when first Guinean Ambassador to Sudan (resident in Cairo) Mr. Seydou Diallo, presented his credentials to Presidenr Abbud[52]
Turkey	11 October 1962	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 11 October 1962[66] Guinea has an embassy in Ankara.[191] Turkey has an embassy in Conakry.[191] Trade volume between the two countries was US$136.7 million in 2019.[191] There are direct flights from Istanbul to Conakry since January 30, 2017.[191]
Uganda	22 July 1966	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 July 1966 when the Guinean Ambassador to Uganda, M. B. Biro, presented his credentials to President Obote.[81]
United Arab Emirates	2 June 1995	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 2 June 1995[146] Guinea has an embassy in Abu Dhabi. The UAE has an embassy in Conakry.
United Kingdom	28 May 1959	See Foreign relations of the United Kingdom Guinea established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 28 May 1959.[27][failed verification] Guinea maintains an embassy in London.[192] The United Kingdom is accredited to Guinea through its embassy in Conakry.[193] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,[194] the International Criminal Court, and the World Trade Organization.
United States	13 February 1959	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 13 February 1959[23] See Guinea – United States relations Guinea became the first French African colony to gain independence, on 2 October 1958, at the cost of the immediate cessation of all French assistance. After a temporary suspension due to nationwide political unrest in early 2007, the Peace Corps program in Guinea resumed operations at the end of July. Prior to the suspension, Peace Corps had more than 100 volunteers throughout the country, and the program is gradually increasing its numbers again. Volunteers work in four project areas: secondary education, environment/agro-forestry, public health and HIV/AIDS prevention, and small enterprise development. Guinea has also had a strong Crisis Corps program through the last few years. The U.S. "condemned" Guinea's "2008 military coup d'etat,"—but had "close relations" with Guinea before the coup, and after "Guinea's presidential elections in 2010"—in support of "democratic reform."[195] However, the U.S. State Department immediately condemned the September 5, 2021 coup d'état, warning against "violence and any extra-constitutional measures, [which] could limit the ability of the United States and Guinea's other international partners to support the country..."[10][11] Guinea has an embassy in Washington, D.C.[196] United States has an embassy in Conakry.[197]
Vietnam	9 October 1958	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 9 October 1958[16] Guinea is the first country in Africa to establish formal diplomatic relations with Vietnam. Vietnam's embassy in Rabat, Morocco is accredited to Guinea. Guinea's embassy in Beijing, China is accredited to Vietnam.[198]
Zambia	10 November 1967	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 November 1967 when the first Guinean Ambassador to Zambia, Mr. Fily Cissoko, presented his credentials to President Kaunda[88]
Zimbabwe	30 April 1980	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 30 April 1980 when first Ambassador of Guinea to Zimbabwe presented his credentials.[116]

See also

• List of diplomatic missions in Guinea
• List of diplomatic missions of Guinea