President Alpha Condé and the Coup of Guinea
On September 5th, the President of Guinea, Alpha Condé, was ousted in a coup and military takeover led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, the head of Guinea Special Forces. The coup followed the beginning of Alpha Condé’s third term in office, a term that required the changing of the Guinea constitution. Condé was the first democratically elected President in Guinea, and maintained this legitimacy for his first two terms, but began to lose legitimacy when he changed the constitution to remain in power.
The coup began by entering the capital, Conakry, which was then followed by shootouts, roadblocks, and finally the capture and detainment of Alpha Condé. Upon success, Col. Doumbouya announced through the media that the events that took place were not a coup, but instead were placing power back in the hands of the people. In his public broadcast he stated, “Our action is not a coup d’etat… It only reflects the legitimate aspiration of people to want to live in an environment where basic human needs can be met.” Doumbouya also explained that his new party, the National Committee for Rally (or reconciliation) and Development, has dissolved the previous constitution and will be making and installing a new unified, transitional government.
There are various reasons behind why the coup occurred, and why the coup occurred now. Doumbouya cited the failures of Alpha Condé’s leadership for the coup’s occurence, such as “the trampling of citizens’ rights, the disrespect for democratic principles, the outrageous politicization of public administration, financial mismanagement, poverty and endemic corruption.” Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the world, and has been a place of long term political instability with historical roots tied to coups. French Colonialism in Guinea facilitated a history of coups and overthrows from the 1950s until now, in which parties attempted both to gain independence and create new political, social, and cultural orders. This history of coups rooted in western colonialism has created conditions for the current coup, and this cannot be ignored. Further theories from a Western Diplomat in Conakry (who did not want to be named) suggest that the initial cause of the unrest may have been due to the dismissal of a senior commander in the special forces. This could explain why some of Guinea’s highly trained military personnel like Doumbouya himself rebelled. While numbers are still being counted, it has been reported that there have been multiple casualties on both sides due to the coup. Since the coup has settled down however, the streets have semi-returned to normal.
While some citizens of Guinea have looked down upon the coup, there have been others who have long awaited change that celebrated the entrance of a new government. This includes a large diaspora of Guineans living in Senegal who opposed Condé, who viewed his removal with relief. Additionally, members of civil society groups throughout the capital were very happy about the coup, and videos show citizens in the capital cheering from their homes in support of the military overthrow. The support for the coup however, stops there. Those who opposed the coup are greater in number. Important international figures like Ned Price -- a spokesperson for The United States Department of State -- and the United Nations Secretary General, along with the French Foriegn Ministry and Guinea’s geographical neighbors, have all spoken out against the coup, and warned of the potential danger it would cause in the future. They have also all called for a return to order with the release of Condé. The African Union has also condemned the coup and the military personnel involved. In addition, the AU has suspended Guinea’s membership due the removal of Condé along with calling for his release. This decision followed the suspension of Guinea from the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, who also demanded the return of Condé as well as a return to the previous constitutional state.
Since the coup, the international community has taken multiple steps to deal with the coup. ECOWAS has imposed sanctions on the military government in Guinea, and asked that democratic elections be held in Guinea within the next 6 months. In addition, ECOWAS froze Guinea’s financial assets and imposed travel bans on Guinea’s military leaders and their relatives, insisting on the release of President Alpha Condé and a short transition period. Nonetheless, the international community as a whole has not yet taken steps like unanimously condemning the coup and imposing sanctions.
The military in Guinea has not budged despite international outcry, and instead military leaders have begun a dialogue with political and religious figures on how to move forward with the transition. Following these talks, on the evening of September 27th, the Guinea military government proposed a charter for the new transition government. The document, read aloud on television, claimed that a coalition of the new military leaders will draft a new constitution and will hold “free, democratic and transparent” elections. The charter also explained the institutions that will aid with the transition, which include the National Rallying Committee for Development (Doumbaya’s military group), the armed forces chief, a government headed by a civilian prime minister, and a legislative body they named the National Transition Council. It is unclear how long this transition is expected to take place.
As of now, Alpha Condé is detained yet in safe conditions. The military has not made statements on whether he will be released despite international pressure. The future of Guinea remains unclear, but Doumbaya’s military has a hold on the country and does not appear to be giving into pressure on any front. With Alpha Condé’s reign now finished, the international community must turn its eyes to Guinea and hope that the new regime will protect the citizens of Guinea from further violence and unrest.
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