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West Africa’s main regional group suspends Guinea’s membership a few days later Military coup President Alpha Kant was removed from office.
At a special virtual summit held on Wednesday, the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) called for the restoration of constitutional order and the immediate release of Comte. He was arrested by special forces led by Lieutenant Colonel Mamady Doumbouya on Sunday.
The leaders of ECOWAS also agreed to send a high-level delegation to Guinea as soon as Thursday.
Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Alpha Bari told reporters in Ouagadougou after the meeting: “At the end of this visit, ECOWAS should be able to re-examine its position.”
The group’s decision was made after the coup d’état sparked widespread diplomatic condemnation, but it was also cheered in certain areas of the capital Conakry, where residents took to the streets to applaud the passing soldiers.
This week, a special force arrested Guinean President Comte and seized power in a coup.
Who is Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who led the coup? read more: https://t.co/b3CycfECDe pic.twitter.com/jmvpeAzGAH
-Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 8, 2021
The 83-year-old became the first democratically elected president in 2010 and was re-elected in 2015. But last year, Conde pushed through a constitutional change to allow himself to run for a third term, a move his opponents said was illegal. Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara also won his third term last year after amending the national constitution.
ECOWAS was criticized by activists for keeping silent about Kant and Ouattara’s third term.
Elsewhere in the region, Mali’s army coup August 2020, then May this year. ECOWAS condemned the coup and temporarily imposed sanctions.It said on Tuesday that it is concerned that the Mali Transitional Government has not made Enough progress Organize the elections in February next year as promised.
Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris reported from Conakry that the decision of the Economic Community of West African States to suspend Guinea is “an agreement that we have seen over and over again”.
“The measures taken by ECOWAS, whenever there is an unconstitutional change in the government… Although people are worried that unconstitutional changes in the West African government may become the norm, unless they take strategic steps and severe measures to crack down on those who organized the coup to overthrow the democratic coup in violation of the constitution elected president in the region,” he added.
Release prisoners
Guinea’s coup leader Dumbua has promised to install one Unite, The transitional government, but it has not yet stated when or how it will happen.
On Tuesday night, at least 80 political prisoners were released. Many of them opposed the amendment of the constitution. This was a clear gesture against Comte’s civilian opponents.
On Tuesday, Dumbuya also met for the first time with the heads of various military departments in Guinea, hoping to unify the country’s armed forces under the command of the coup maker.
The leader of Guinea’s main opposition party, Cellou Dalein Diallo, who won Comte’s runner-up in three consecutive elections, told Reuters on Tuesday that he was willing to participate in the transition to constitutional governance.
In a statement on Tuesday evening, Comte’s political party stated that it “notices the emergence of a new authority for the head of state” and called on the president to release it quickly and unconditionally.
Since the coup, life on the streets of Conakry seems to have returned to normal, and some military checkpoints have been demolished.
Concerns that a power struggle might hinder Guinea’s bauxite production have begun to ease. Bauxite is a mineral used to make aluminum. The country’s largest foreign operator continued operations on Tuesday without interruption.
Following news of the unrest in Guinea, aluminum prices hit a 10-year high on Monday, and Guinea has the largest bauxite reserves in the world. Doumbouya promised that mining will continue unhindered.
A few hours after taking the stage, Dumbuya appeared on TV, accusing the government of “local corruption” and “traveling on civil rights.”
“We will no longer delegate politics to one person, we will delegate politics to the people,” Doumbouya told public television on Sunday, his work clothes draped in a national flag.
According to Paul Merley, an analyst at Chatham Institute, the new military ruler faces huge challenges.
“[Doumbouya] All rights issues regarding transition and inclusive political methods are now clearly expressed, reminding people of the need for reform and all past governance failures,” he told Al Jazeera.
“But the real test will be carried out in several stages in the next few weeks,” he said.
“First of all, in his internal discussions, he must gain extensive acquiescence from the political class and civil society in this transition. Although many people are relieved…but this is not the same as registering all the details of the new transition. Not exactly the same.
“The next stage will be difficult negotiations with ECOWAS. ECOWAS does have a very strict constitution. Soldiers cannot hold power for a long time by force.”
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