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The special envoy of ECOWAS, the main political and economic group in West Africa, said during a visit to the country that the overthrown President Alfa Conde, who has been detained by soldiers since last week’s coup, is in good health.
As the delegation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) visited on Friday, after seizing power on Sunday, the ruling army of Guinea faced diplomatic pressure.
ECOWAS suspended Guinea’s membership in the 15 member states earlier this week, but did not impose further sanctions. On Friday, the African Union (AU) also announced the suspension of Guinea’s participation in all group “activities and decision-making bodies”.
The ECOWAS mediator met with Lieutenant Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, the leader of the coup, who arrived at the Conakry Hotel where the special envoy was located, where there were special forces commandos.
Jean-Claude Casey Brou, chairman of the ECOWAS Commission, is a member of the delegation from the capital of Guinea. He said that the mediator had also met Comte.
“President Alpha Kant is fine,” he told reporters. “Because we are entrusted by other heads of state, we have to make a report.”
Another member of the delegation, Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Alpha Bari, confirmed that the 83-year-old former leader is in good health.
On Wednesday, ECOWAS called on Comte to “immediately and unconditionally release.” It also urged “immediate restoration of constitutional order” and asked the security forces to “maintain a constitutional posture.”
A senior regional official told Reuters on Thursday that the visiting envoy plans to urge the military government to appoint a credible civilian prime minister as soon as possible to help guide Guinea to restore constitutional order.
The US Embassy in Conakry said on Friday that Guinea should “immediately restore democracy.” On Thursday, after a video of American soldiers appearing among a group of jubilant Guineans during Sunday’s coup d’état, the United States denied involvement.
The US State Department stated that a US team participated in a joint military training exercise outside of Conakry.
“In view of the ever-changing security situation, it was decided to relocate the team to the US Embassy in Conakry. The Guinean security forces provided escorts to Conakry to ensure the safe passage of the team,” the department said.
The coup makers in Guinea established what they call the National Council for Rally and Development (CNRD), which has dissolved the government and the constitution.
It also appointed military officers to lead the regional government and ordered the central bank and other banks to freeze all government accounts on Thursday to ensure the safety of state assets.
A few hours after the coup, Dumbuya appeared on television, accusing the Comte government of “local corruption” and “traveling on civil rights.”
He has promised to start negotiations on the formation of a new government, but it is unclear when or in what form.
When Mali faced similar difficulties last year, ECOWAS imposed economic sanctions on the country, but the sanctions were lifted after Mali’s ruling army promised to restore civilian rule.
Kant became the first democratically elected president of Guinea in 2010 and re-elected in 2015. But last year, he pushed through constitutional changes to make himself work for the third term, which his opponent said was illegal. President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire also won a third term last year after amending the national constitution.
ECOWAS was criticized by activists for keeping silent about Kant and Ouattara’s third term.
Adama Gay, the former head of information at ECOWAS, said the group has been ineffective in responding to the crisis in the region.
“They have been sleeping on the wheels of the organization, rather than really proactively solving the challenges within their member states,” he told Al Jazeera.
“From Comte to Ouattara, its 15 member states are very complacent about the countries that violate the law in their countries… In the end all the problems have led to the current situation we have seen in Guinea, somehow ECOWAS It’s like coming [the] Doctor after death. “
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