Guinean special forces officials said on Sunday they had captured President Alpha Condé, conquered the capital Conakry and “dissolved” the institutions, in a military coup that could oust a veteran of African politics who was increasingly isolated.
No deaths have been reported so far, despite the intense gunfire that was heard in the morning in the capital of this West African country, which has been going through a serious economic and political crisis for months.
The possible head of more than ten years of Condé’s government provoked scenes of joy in various parts of the capital.
“We decided, after arresting the president, that he is currently with us (…) to abolish the Constitution in force, dissolve the institutions and also the government, as well as the closure of land and air borders,” said one of the coup plotters. to a statement that circulated on social media.
Denouncing the government’s “mess”, the head of the special forces, Lieutenant Colonel Mamady Dumbuya, wrapped in the Guinean flag, promised before national television “to launch a national consultation to open an inclusive and peaceful transition.”
The coup leaders released a video of President Condé, 83, under arrest. They ask him if he has been abused and Condé, dressed in jeans and a shirt, sitting on a sofa, refuses to answer.
In the evening they announced on television the introduction of a curfew from 8pm across the country “until further notice” and the replacement of regional governors and prefects by the military.
In addition, they convened outgoing ministers and presidents of institutions at a meeting on Monday. “Any refusal to appear will be considered a rebellion,” they warned.
– “Immediate release” –
“We have all of Conakry and we are with all the defense and security forces to put an end to the evil Guinean once and for all,” Lieutenant Colonel Dumbuya, a little-known figure so far, told France 24 television.
The Defense Ministry initially claimed that the presidential guard repelled the “insurgents” when they tried to take the presidential palace. But after this communication, the authorities sank into silence.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “strongly” condemned the coup in Guinea and demanded the “release of President” Condé.
The president of the African Union (AU), Felix Tshisekedi, and the president of the AU Commission, Musa Faki Mahamat, condemned “any seizure of power by force” and demanded the “immediate” release of the president. in a joint statement in which they called for an emergency meeting of the organization.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has also condemned “in the strongest terms this coup attempt” and demanded the “respect for the physical integrity” of the Guinean head of state and his immediate release. . He also demanded “a return to constitutional order, under penalty of sanctions.”
– “Rewriting a Constitution together” –
Hundreds of Conakry residents, mostly in pro-opposition suburbs, took to the streets to defeat the soldiers, AFP reporters noted.
“We are proud of the special forces, shame on the militia of former President Alpha Condé, death to the torturers and murderers of our youth,” exclaimed a protester on condition of anonymity.
“We are going to rewrite a Constitution together, this time, all of Guinea,” the coup leader assured.
Leading opposition leaders, contacted by AFP, declined to comment.
But the National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC), a coalition of political movements and civil society that led the protest against a third term of Condé, said it took note of “the arrest of the dictator.” and the statements of the military on the Constitution.
– Shooting in the air –
Early morning gunfire erupted in the Kalum district of Conakry’s nerve center, where the presidency, institutions and business offices are based.
“I saw a column of military vehicles in which very agitated soldiers fired into the air and chanted military slogans,” a neighbor in the Tombo neighborhood near the center told AFP.
For months, this West African country, one of the poorest in the world despite its considerable mineral and water resources, has been experiencing a deep political and economic crisis, exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic.
Condé, a historic ex-exhibitor, imprisoned and even sentenced to death, became the first democratically elected president in 2010 after decades of authoritarian regimes.
But human rights defenders denounce an authoritarian drift in the last years of his presidency and question the successes of the principle.
His candidacy for a third term, on October 18, 2020, caused months of tensions, with dozens dead.
Condé was finally proclaimed president for a third term on November 7, although several candidates denounced irregularities of all kinds.