Guinea leaders order halt at large iron ore deposit

Guinea's military rulers have ordered all activities to stop at the Simandou iron ore deposit, believed to be the largest in the world.

They need clarification on how Guinea's interests will be preserved before work can begin again, they say.

The deposit is owned by the mining giant Rio Tinto and a Chinese-backed consortium, with the Guinean government holding a 15% stake. 

The development of the mine has stalled many times, largely over rights disputes. 

Mining of the 2.5 billion tonnes of high-grade ore was due to start in 2015.

This article originally appeared on BBC News