According to a report by Mining.com, citing Reuters, the Guinean military government announced late Monday evening that it had revoked 129 mineral exploration licenses, a move indicating that the West African nation is stepping up its efforts to gain tighter control over its assets.

A senior official from the Ministry of Mining said that this decision was made to transfer these underutilized resources to other investors.

The official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters, “By digitizing the entire system, we’ve streamlined processes and gained better control.”

It is not yet clear whether this move will affect major investments.

The second-highest-ranking government official said that most of the revoked permits were for gold mining operations, and these assets have now returned to state ownership.

This month, Guinea has revoked 51 mining licenses that were either unused or had not yet begun operations. These licenses cover bauxite, gold, diamonds, graphite, and iron ore.

Previously, the Guinean government revoked the bauxite mining rights held by Kebo Energy SA and Emirates Global Aluminium.

Bauxite is used to produce alumina, and Guinea is the world’s largest country in terms of bauxite reserves.

Guinea’s neighboring countries—such as Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso—are also cracking down on foreign mining companies, aiming to reap greater benefits from mineral production.