Pierre Emangongo and Bienvenu Ipan
24 December 2008
analysis
The death of Guinea's head of state, Lansana Conté, from diabetes on Monday has brought about a military rebellion against the constitution – a situation that, if not carefully handled, could escalate into a military confrontation.
The president's death, at the age of 74, was announced overnight on Monday by the president of the National Assembly, Aboubacar Samparé, accompanied by the military chief of staff, General Diarra Camara, and the Prime Minister, Ahmed Tidiane Souaré. They called on the president of the Supreme Court to note the vacancy in the presidency and to apply the relevant provisions of the constitution. They also appealed for calm from the population.
The constitution stipulates that in case of a vacancy in the presidency, or the incapacity of the president, affairs of state must be taken over by the president of the National Assembly, who is required to organize fresh elections within 60 days.
Show of force
The late president committed the sin of not handing over power according to the constitution. Despite his age and his deteriorating health, he chose to be president for life, heading a government characterised by mismanagement and ill-considered control of the affairs of state. Incapable of handling state affairs, he created a vacuum at the helm. Meanwhile, the barons of the regime censored information about the president's health.
In matter of fact, the army has controlled matters of state for many years. It is within this context that the men in uniform decided to rebel against the constitution barely a day after the Conté's death. According to Agence France-Presse, on December 23 an army captain announced on radio the dissolution of the government and the institutions of the republic and the suspension of the constitution.
Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, reading from a communique on Radio Conakry, said: "As from today, the constitution has been suspended as well as political and trade union activities." He declared that "the government and all institutions of the Republic have been dissolved," adding that a consultative council comprising "civilian and military" officials will soon be established.
The army captain, who until now has headed the fuel department of the army, indicated the "profound disappointment of the population" at the state of the country and accused the government of being responsible.
But the army is far from united. There is a deep division between those close to the chief of staff and the rest of the army.
The risk of confrontation
One cannot help but think that in this race for power, caused by a vacuum at the helm, there is a risk of a military confrontation in which innocent civilians will, as always, be the victims.
In the current circumstances, the unarmed opposition will need to exhibit political maturity and a sense of patriotism to permit the electorate freely to elect a successor to Conté. ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, can also help Guinea through a smooth transition and the organization of a free and transparent election.
While President Conté may have gone, the people of Guinea will have a difficult time forgetting an era of dictatorship, poverty and mismanagement.
Biographical details
President Lasana Conté was born in Moussayah Loumbay, not far from Conakry. He was from the Soussou ethnic group, which constitutes about 20 percent of the 9.6 million inhabitants of Guinea, and was the son of a peasant. After completing his course on the Koran, he was trained in Bingerville, in Côte d'Ivoire, and Saint-Louis, in Sénégal.
He joined the army in 1955 and later quit the French army as a sergeant when Guinea achieved independence in 1958. He came to power through a coup on April 3 1984, a week after the death of the "father of independence," Ahmed Sékou Touré. Conté's health has been in decline since 2002 and he took up residence in his village of Wawa, 80 kilometres north of Conakry, but was bent on holding onto power until the end of his mandate in 2010. Unfortunately his 24 years of power has come to an end in this West African state.
(Translated from the French original by Michael Tantoh.)
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Did I hear AU and ECOWAS condemning the military takeover in Guinea? Do AU and ECOWAS have what it takes to be true custodians of democracy? Where were AU and ECOWAS when Lansana Conteh actually, and in broad day light, seized power in questionable elections? I do not support the military takeover, but I think the military takeover is the less of the two evils. Having said that, the AU and ECOWAS should take more proactive positions on issues than to beat drums of rethorics just to give the international community a false sense of appeasement.
To my Guinean brothers and sisters, please reminisce about the past and imagine what you have endured. Please unite on a common sense...that Guinea is more important than everyone of you.
This has nothing to do with the AU or whatever.
We condemn soupists whether robed in civilian garb or khaki: down with the soupist coupists.
Please note, as a partial confirmation of our theory of territoriality, that the soupist gun toter, Camara, did not mention, in his announcement of the estrangement of power from his fellow soupists in 'parliament', THE NATION OF GUINEA.
And, correctly so: ain't no nation called "GUINEA." An occupied West African territory called "Guinea" vraiment.
AUTHORIZIED AND ISSUED BY THE ALL AFRICA ANTI-SOUPIST OPPOSITION IN EXILE.
I think the only effective solution to address the current political situation and the chronic corruption and crime is the military takeover. What will be the AU position if Mugabe is overthrown? I am very curious to know. Anyway, for the military takeover to be very effective, i suggest the following:
- an effective border control - arrest all members of the Conte regime - restructure the system (including the police) - bring in new constitution - ensure the best interest of all Guinean is served by giving them shares in all commercial contracts from foreign countries - the basic needs of the people of Guinea such as electric city, health care, agricultural production etc need to be met as soon as possible; -the new government should include well educated people.
Regards
Mohamed Kondeh
Sydney, Australia
Effective solution, you say, is a "military takeover"?
A fatal fissure in that categorial construction is the absence of the qualifier "soupist."
ALL COUPS IN WEST AFRICA SINCE THE SHAM INDEPENDENCE FROM THE SHACKLES OF BRITISH AND FRENCH IMPERIALISM have been soupist coups, sponsored by civilians who cannot nuke it out IN PLAIN VIEW with opposing, fake elections empowered soupist factions.
WE CANNOT CONDEMN THE PEOPLE FOR CHEERING THEIR VULTURES IN KHAKI GARBS, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT TO THINK AFTER DECADES OF SOUPIST OSSIFIED BRAINWASHING.
Camara, similar to Conteh, is a SOUPIST.
Not even Christ can be otherwise, given the structural ambience of these occupied territories.
Occupied, because soupists merely inherited the policies of thievery by the French and British outlaws---French and British imperialism.
Accordingly, charisma, clout, bla, bla, bla, change nothing: the soupist structure stands under elections or coups---take your pick.
THE HISTORY OF WEST AFRICA POST 'INDEPENDENCE' HAS BEEN THE HISTORY OF THE AFRICANIZATION OF A SOUPIST STRUCTURE FIRST INSTITUTED BY BRITISH AND FRENCH IMPERIALISM.
It is in this sense, and only in this sense, that one can meaningfully speak of "neo-colonialism."
The theory of the soupist structure explicates the theory of "neo-colonialism." Colonialism never ended, for colonialism is first a territorial grab, and second, the institution of a political structure immune to the formation a nation.
Accordingly, soupism is colonialism africanized.
AUTHORIZED AND ISSUED BY THE REFLECTIVE ALL AFRICA ANTI-SOUPIST OPPOSITION IN EXILE.
"soupist"? Are you suggesting that the Conte's administration and chronic corrupt governemnt should continue to lead Guinea? Here is a question for you: if Mugabe is overthrown now, what will be your position or you think will be the position of the AU, the USA or the economic communities? Civilian and a proper democratic government is a long term solution. However, under the current circumstances and considering the never ending of the suffering of the Guinean, I think that the effective solution to address the issues is the military takeover to clean the system.
What is your suggestion to resolve the current issues in Guinea without Conte's regime?
Mohamed Kondeh Sydney, Australia
from every indication , Camarra might change one or two things. Not every military man is a war monger or dictator. I was actually expectin an exchange of bullets since the army is divided but this hasn't happened yet. I guess he's doing the right thing. All the Conte regime needs to be X-rayed well for corruption reasons and kept away from this new gov't. Camarra is not a stack illiterate. he has studied well and was trained abroad. He knows wat he's doing; The AU and ECOWAS should solve the problem in Zimbabwe before moving to Guinea. They are also 'toothless bulldogs'. Zimbabwe came up first so they should pay attention to it before turning eyes on Guinea. Camarra has just made a giant step which will lead to a prosperous Guinea
Thank you for your comment -Halleydavidson. Your thinking and observation is consistent with mine. We should all support Camara for his courage and good thinking. The system should be retructured and must not include any of Conte's regime. The only job the old regime should be given in order to be productive is hard labour to build the railways and factoris they sold out. They should be jailed and asked to rebuild the railways lines and clean the streets with a very close supervison and monitoring.
Mohamed Kondeh Sydney, Australia.
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