Guiena (Washington Insider Magazine) -A so-called National Committee for Reorientation and Development has taken power in a coup by Guinea’s military.
Initial reports emerging from the country were convoluted. After state television was taken over and an announcement made that military commanders would take over as governors of the country’s provinces, the ministry of defense said the coup attempt had been repelled.
Since then, however, unverified videos have circulated of the seemingly deposed President Alpha Condé being marched around Conakry by men in military uniform. After hours of intense gunfire outside the presidential palace, it now appears that the coup was successful.
Condé first came to power in 2010 in an election in which he benefited from his past as a democratic activist. However, his rule has become increasingly contentious especially after he pushed through a constitutional change that allowed him to run for a third term, which he did successfully. His government cracked down aggressively when large protests filled the streets in response.
The struggle between Condé and Guinea’s military is over a decade old. In July 2011, the presidential palace was shelled. A presidential guard was killed and two others injured. Over 40 soldiers were arrested in response to the alleged assassination attempt and a government official claimed many were tied to the country’s previous military rulers.
Developments in Guinea hold particular strategic importance because of the country’s bauxite reserves. The metal is the main ingredient in aluminum and hit its highest price level in a decade on Monday. Extraction companies from around the world have set up shop in the West African country which has an impoverished population but a fast-growing economy. It has seen annual growth of over 6% for the last 5 years.
The coup was led by a former French legionnaire named Mamady Doumbouya. His address on state television urged mineral companies to continue operations as normal.
The UN, the African Union and ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) all moved quickly to condemn the coup.
Guinea is the third state in the region to have a successful military coup in the last year. Military councils have recently taken power in both Mali and Chad.