By Abel Mavura in Paris
Africans Rising said it is deeply concerned about the current state in the West African nation of Guinea; after the government’s military unit overthrew and detained President Alpha Condé on Sunday morning (5th September 2021).
The move was occasioned by hours of heavy gunfire near the Presidential Palace in the capital, Conakry, igniting fears in a country that has previously experienced multiple coups and presidential assassination attempts.
The military unit that has taken power has announced a series of measures such as the imposition of a curfew, closure of land and air borders, dissolution of the constitution and government institutions.
These acts occur in a country that has experienced several decades of authoritarian rule and President Condé has been the country’s first democratically elected leader.
According to the constitution that brought him to power, the president should have completed his second and final term in September 2020, but in March 2020, he then undemocratically orchestrated a change in the constitution allowing him to run for a third term amid protests and high-handed repression, a move quite characteristic of dictatorships.
The Pan-African movement, Africans Rising for Justice, Peace & Dignity, has previously condemned Conde’s actions and supported activist groups fighting for democracy in those trying times. The legacy of the long period of mismanagement and poor governance has left Guinea among the poorest countries in the African continent despite its rich natural resources.
Guinea has had a track record of being an unsuccessful democracy since the advent of its independence in 1958. This military coup will have consequences on the future of respect for democracy in the country.
In a statement, issued yesterday (Monday, 13th of September) Africans Rising Coordinator, Muhammed Lamin Saidykhan said, “We strongly condemn the coup by the military unit and demand for the immediate release of President Condé and the other civilian leaders. In the same vein, we called the military Junta to release all citizens including activists and journalists languishing in jail during Conde’s rule.
“We are also calling for the immediate restoration of civilian rule and democracy. We applaud the intervention of ECOWAS, AU, and the UN leading a constructive dialogue in order to ease tension among the Guinea citizens and return stability in the country”
Africans Rising said it is in solidarity with the citizens of Guinea in their continued struggle for a prosperous Guinea anchored by inclusive democracy, respect for human rights, justice, and dignity, free from oppression either by civilians or military.
“We take this opportunity to call on ECOWAS to exert pressure on all civilian governments to respect their constitutions. Hopefully, such initiatives could help stop the spiral of coups in West Africa and elsewhere in the continent.
“We continue to urge everyone to maintain peace & order in these trying times and for the Junta to ensure the rights of all Guineans are protected at all times,” said Africans Rising.
Commenting on the same issue, Jefry Smith, VangauardAfrica director said, “Guinea’s coup was predictable and preventable. Inaction to the former regime’s assault on democracy caused a situation more destabilizing than any attempt to stand up for basic rights would have been.”
