PRESIDENT ALPHA CONDE ARRESTED AND WHISKED AWAY AS GUINEAN SOLDIERS ANNOUNCE COUP
By Kabs Kanu
There has been a military coup in neighboring Guinea and President Alpha Conde has been arrested and the constitution suspended by the army. The apparent coup leader, Col. Mamady Doumbuya, in a nation- wide broadcast monitored by the COCORIOKO newspaper , said that parliament has also been dissolved.
In firm voice, Col. Doumbuya address the Guinean people and his statement , translated verbatim from French , said :
“My fellow citizens of the republic of Guinean, looking at the current collapse in our economic, social and political situation institutions by the current President and his administration, and the destruction of our justice system coupled with the disfunction of our democracy with no respect financial accountability which has led our people into abject poverty has prompted the Guinean Army through the institute of development and international cooperation and we have decided to tell our President who actually with us here to suspend the constitution, and for this we want our fellow military officers to know that until these issues are sorted out we have decided to close all our borders both land and sea until…”
According to AFP, Since 8 am, automatic weapons fire has been ringing out in Kaloum, the business and administrative district and the seat of the presidential palace. All the streets have been deserted, while heavy gunfire continues. The soldiers, visibly unhappy, empty the magazines of their weapons, while the inhabitants of Kaloum remain holed up, terrorized and worried.
According to the news agency, also learned that shots have also been heard for about an hour at Camp Camayenne, located at the Kaloum gate, in the commune of Dixinn.
President Conde was seen in a video being arrested by mutinous solders , shoved in a military vehicle and carried away to an unknown location. Soldiers accused him of grand corruption , promoting poverty and tampering with the constitution.
The dramatic event started in Conakry this morning when desperate gunshots started echoing throughout this coastal city and parts of the city , including a major bridge leading to Kaloum neighborhood was sealed off by soldiers in military trucks.
Guineans stayed indoors while army trucks rumbled throughout the city with heavy gunshots rocking Conakry.
It is not known if the coup will hold or if it will be reversed but for now the army seems to be in control in Guinea.
Last year, President Conde was re-elected to power after completing his mandated second term. Amidst bitter protests from Guineans that spilled into the streets and led to bloodshed and hundreds being killed, the president had changed the constitution to enable him to do a third term.
This was what the BBC reported earlier today
BBC UPDATES
The fate of Guinea’s President Alpha Condé is unclear after an unverified video showed him surrounded by soldiers, who said they had seized power.
They appeared on national TV claiming to have dissolved the government.
However, the defence ministry said the attempted takeover had been thwarted by the presidential guard.
This follows hours of heavy gunfire near the presidential palace in the capital, Conakry.
The West African country of Guinea is rich in natural resources but years of unrest and mismanagement mean it is one of the world’s poorest countries.
President barefoot on a sofa
The TV address featured nine unnamed soldiers, several draped in the red, gold and green national flag, who said they had taken over because of rampant corruption, mismanagement and poverty.
Calling themselves the National Committee for Reconciliation and Development, they said the constitution had been dissolved and that there would be consultations to create a new, more inclusive one.
Numerous reports say the coup was led by an elite unit headed by a former French legionnaire, Lt Col Mamady Doumbouya.
In one video, which the BBC has not been able to verify, soldiers ask President Condé, 83, to confirm he is unharmed but he refuses to respond.
Sitting barefoot on a sofa wearing jeans and a printed shirt, he does not have any visible injuries. His current whereabouts are unknown.
Those behind the coup said that all land and air borders had been closed for a week.
However, according to the defence ministry, forces loyal to the president have “contained the threat and repelled the group of assailants”.
Earlier, the only bridge connecting the mainland to the Kaloum peninsular, which houses most ministries and the presidential palace, was sealed off while many soldiers, some heavily armed, were posted around the palace, a military source told Reuters news agency.
There are unconfirmed reports that three soldiers have been killed.
President Condé was re-elected for a controversial third term in office amid violent protests last year.
The veteran opposition leader was first elected in 2010 in the country’s first democratic transfer of power. Despite overseeing some economic progress, he has since been accused of presiding over numerous human rights abuses and harassment of his critics.
■ QUICK GUIDE: Guinea country profile
