Guinea coup: Soldiers seek to tighten grip after ousting Alpha Condé

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Guinea coup: Soldiers seek to tighten grip after ousting Alpha Condé

11:21 CAT | 06 Sep 2021

President Alpha Condé was captured on Sunday

A group of soldiers who ousted Guinea’s President Alpha Condé from power on Sunday have ordered the country’s cabinet to attend a mandatory meeting on Monday.

Those who refuse to attend the 11:00 GMT meeting will be considered rebels, a statement on state TV said.

President Condé remains in detention, but his fate is unclear.

Read: Guinea-Bissau: Military steps up security on borders after coup in Guinea

The UN, African Union, and regional body Ecowas have condemned the coup and called for a return to civilian rule.

“I strongly condemn any takeover of the government by force of the gun and call for the immediate release of President Alpha Conde,” the UN secretary-general António Guterres tweeted.

The soldiers announced the dissolution of the constitution, closure of the borders and a nationwide curfew.

In a broadcast on state TV on Sunday night, they said regional governors had been replaced by military commanders, and the ousted 83-year-old president was safe but in detention.

The head of the country’s special forces, Col Mamady Doumbouya, said his soldiers had seized power because they want to end rampant corruption and mismanagement.

🔴#Guinean special forces staged a #coup on Sunday, capturing President #AlphaCondé and dissolving the constitution.

In an #exclusive #interview with FRANCE 24, the head of #Guinea’s🇬🇳 elite army unit on Sunday confirmed the #president was being held by his forces⤵️ pic.twitter.com/L5lXARIBZg

— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) September 6, 2021

Read: Elite Guinea army unit says it’s overthrown president

President Condé was re-elected for a controversial third term in office amid violent protests last year.

The veteran opposition leader was first elected in 2010 in the country’s first democratic transfer of power. Despite overseeing some economic progress, he has since been accused of presiding over numerous human rights abuses and harassment of his critics.

Source: BBC