Guinea : Did U.S. military take part in the coup against Alpha Conde ?

Translated by COCORIOKO  from Africaguinee.com

While an amateur video that has gone viral on social media purports to mount the involvement of US military personnel in the coup, the US Embassy in Guinea has provided clarification.


The 36-second video, filmed in the vicinity of the Bambéto roundabout, shows three armed American soldiers with their faces uncovered, aboard a pikup, accompanied by Guinean special forces agents. This video listening generated a lot of comments. In what context was it filmed? The American diplomatic representation in Conakry denies any involvement of the government and the United States army in this military takeover. She specifies:

 

"Prior to the events of September 5, a small team of US military personnel was engaged in a joint training exercise outside Conakry. In view of the evolving security situation, it was decided that the team be transferred to the United States Embassy in Conakry [the next day, September 6, Editor's note]. Guinean security forces provided an escort to Conakry to ensure the team's safe passage. illustrate part of this transfer. The government and the army of the United States are in no way involved in this military takeover ", specified the American embassy, ​​questioned by the observers of the channel France 24.

The United States strongly condemns these actions in Guinea, as well as any attempt to seize power by force or any unconstitutional action, specifies the same source. Moreover, because of the coup d'etat of September 5, the country of Joe Biden announces that it has interrupted the joint training that was underway, with the Guinean security forces, on counterterrorism techniques. Created on Friday, September 10, 2021 at 8:32 PM

A U.S. military website, STARS AND STRIPES, published this report : 
A team of U.S. Green Berets on a recent training mission in the West African nation of Guinea needed local security forces’ help to make it through a chaotic street scene after the country’s president was ousted, U.S. Africa Command confirmed Friday.
A video circulating on social media this week shows three U.S. soldiers in a car that is surrounded by people jumping up and down as it’s making its way to the U.S. Embassy in the Guinean capital of Conakry. Armed Guinean troops are seen providing security.
“Guinean security forces provided an escort to Conakry to ensure the safe passage of the team,” U.S. Africa Command said in a statement.
The soldiers were part of an Army special operations team that was forced to cancel planned training activities after a military seizure of power Sunday, AFRICOM said. It added that they had been moved to the U.S. Embassy.
The video appears to depict part of that relocation, AFRICOM said. During the video, the soldiers’ car is surrounded by a crowd, which appears to more excited than threatening.

The soldiers don’t appear to be overly concerned. One Green Beret in the video is smiling and holding his arm out the window to shake hands with passers-by.

U.S. special operations units routinely conduct small training missions with local forces in Africa and other countries known as Joint Combined Exchange Training events, or JCETs.

A military team led by Guinean Col. Mamady Doumbouya seized control over the weekend and deposed the country’s president. Doumbouya had received extensive training in France, served for a time with the French military and took part in various international missions, including in Afghanistan, according to the BBC.

“The U.S. government and military are not involved in this apparent military seizure of power in any way,” AFRICOM said. “The United States strongly condemns these actions in Guinea and any attempts at forceful seizures of power or unconstitutional actions.”