Guinea: The Battle for Succession Continues
Posted by travelhouseuk on December 25, 2008
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.
