Guinea, which borders Cameroon and Gabon in West Africa, has had a history of authoritarian rule since gaining independence from France in 1958. Ahmed Sekou Toure was the strong-armed president of Guinea from its independence until his death in 1984. Under Toure, Guinea became a one-party dictatorship, with a closed, socialized economy. A military junta headed by Lansana Conte seized power just one week after the death of Sekou Toure. Guinea did not hold democratic elections until 1993 when Conte was elected president of the civilian government. He was then re-elected in 1998 and again in 2003. In December 2008 history repeated itself when Captain Moussa Dadis Camara came to power in a bloodless coup following President Conte's death. Guinea has abundant natural resources, including 50 percent of the world’s known bauxite reserves, along with aluminum, diamonds and gold. However, economic mismanagement and conflicts in neighboring countries have had an adverse impact on the economic performance, and Guinea's poorly developed infrastructure and rampant corruption continue to present obstacles to large-scale investment projects. As a result, Guinea remains among the poorest countries in Africa.