FGN CONDEMNS COUP D’ETAT IN GUINEA…Says act is in clear violation of the ECOWAS Protocol
Oru Leonard
The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), has condemned the coup d’etat that had taken place in the Republic of Guinea today.
The Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esther Sunsuwa (Mrs), stated this in a press release and disclosed Nigeria’s position on Sunday, noting that the act is in clear violation of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
“The Nigerian Government is saddened by the apparent coup d’état that has taken place in the Republic of Guinea today, in clear violation of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
“The Government of Nigeria strongly condemns and rejects any unconstitutional change of government and therefore calls on those behind this coup to restore constitutional order without delay and protect all lives and property”, FGN stated
Conde came to power in 2010 in the country’s first democratic election since independence from France. Many saw his presidency as a fresh start for the country, which has been mired by decades of corrupt, authoritarian rule.
Premium Times reports that Coup in Guinea has sparked fears among the civilian population, as soldiers detain President Alpha Condé
The president’s whereabouts could not be ascertained at the time of this report.
Local tabloid, Guineenews, reported that President Alpha Condé was arrested by special forces led by Commander Mamady Doumbouya, believed to be the leader of the putsch.
Guineenews also said top officials of the government were also taken into custody by the special forces, an elite army corps said to be dissatisfied with the regime.
The details of what looks like a coup are still hazy, but Reuters news agency quoted a military official as saying that the bridge connecting the rest of the city to the Kaloum neighbourhood had been sealed off with many soldiers patrolling the palace. The neighbourhood is home to major government infrastructure, including the presidential palace.
When elected in 2010 after decades as an opposition candidate himself, Mr Condé, 83, became the first freely elected president in the country’s history.
In July 2011, he survived an assassination scare after the presidential residence was shelled, resulting in the death of a presidential guard and the injuries of two others.
A graduate of Pantheon-Sorbonne University, President Condé had seen out his second term limit in 2020 when he stated that a March 2020 constitutional referendum allowed him to run for a third.
He was reelected last year for a third term after winning 59.5 per cent of the votes, a result the opposition rejected alleging that it was fraught with fraud, triggering violent protests across the country.
The coup in Guinea occurs months after coups in two other West African countries: Chad and Mali.
Guinea is a country in West Africa, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. It’s known for the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, in the southeast. The reserve protects a forested mountain range rich in native plants and animals, including chimpanzees and the viviparous toad. On the coast, the capital city, Conakry, is home to the modern Grand Mosque and the National Museum, with its regional artifacts.
