By Alpha Abu
Soldiers in the neighbouring country of Guinea have toppled the government of President Alpha Conde.
In the early hours of Sunday there was gunfire around Kaloum an area in the capital Conakry, where the Presidential palace is located.
Pictures then flashed on various news platforms showing heavily armed soldiers draped in the colours of the country’s flag surrounding another officer identified as Special Forces Commander Mamady Doumbouya, who then announced their action to replace Conde.
The coup leaders have called on all ministers in the Conde administration to report today at a meeting with them and for civil servants to return to work.
Conde himself is under arrest and reportedly unharmed.
The coup has been condemned by the UN , AU and the regional body ECOWAS. They have threatened sanctions and have asked for the release of Conde who was seen in a short video footage looking pensive and seated on a sofa with soldiers nearby.
The coup leaders have assured the safety of Conde. The putsch is believed to be led by Colonel Doumboya who until yesterday was commander of the country’s Special Forces. He’s a former member of France’s crack military Foreign Legion.
Some parts of Conakry known to be strongholds of the opposition erupted into wild scenes of jubilation while other parts predominantly Conde’s support base remained quiet.
Late reports Sunday evening said the soldiers were going house to house searching for senior officials of the embattled government. There’s a nationwide night-time curfew with the country’s land borders and airspace closed.
It is believed the soldiers were incensed after Conde’s government on Saturday announced a new budget that had reduced the salaries of the security forces by five percent whilst those of his cabinet and members of Parliament got a rise.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (06/09/21)
