Rusal Names Controversial Ex-Ambassador to Head Guinea Office
- Ex-diplomat sparked an outcry by praising President Conde
- Nation with vast bauxite reserves holds elections next year
United Co. Rusal operations in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
United Co. Rusal named a controversial former Russian ambassador to Guinea to head its unit in the West African nation, raising local fears of Russian influence on next year’s presidential elections.
The aluminum giant announced the appointment on Friday of Alexander Bregadze, who served as ambassador to Guinea for eight years until March. Bregadze sparked a public outcry in January when he praised Guinea’s President Alpha Conde in a speech on state TV as “legendary” and said constitutions aren’t dogma and can be changed. Guinea is among several African countries with vast mineral wealth where Russia has pushed to expand its military and political influence in recent years.