The Military Takes Power In Guinea

 

A coup has been staged in Guinea. The country's new leader Mamady Doumbouya has declared curfew for Guinea. Certain industries are exempt and are encouraged to continue their work. President Alpha Conde who has been in power for ten years is in custody. Tensions have been building ever since he ran for a third term. The 2020 presidential election saw accusations of fraud. Conde was once more president, which caused growing protests. Guinea is a country rich in resources, but the country struggles economically. The UN, ECOWAS, and African Union have condemned the coup. All have called for Alpha Conde's release. The change in the constitution allowed Conde to run for a third term. If this never happened, Guinea would not be in this condition. The concern is that bauxite mining might come to a halt if the country gets too unstable. Although mining increased under Conde, the average citizen did not see an increase in wealth. What remains unclear is if  ECOWAS will either invade or impose sanctions. This was done to Gambia. However, this was not done to Mali. The uneven application of rules and policies display a clear bias. 

Alpha Conde Will Seek A Third Term As President of Guinea

 

Alpha Conde has been president of Guinea since 2010. Now, the longtime leader is seeking a third term in what could be the country's most contentious  election. Before the 2013 election there were clashes.   There are fears that such events could repeat in 2020. ECOWAS may respond in a similar manner like it did with Gambia. The African Union and ECOWAS have been known to intervene in states, which suffer from extreme political instability and factionalism. The challenge for African states is keeping free and fair elections and imposing term limits on presidents. Leaders of certain African nations extend their rule through referendums or electoral fraud. Guinea has a total of 12 candidates running for the presidency. The opposition remains fractured, indicating that Conde will most likely get a third term. Voters have until the October 18th to cast their ballots. Post-election violence is common in various countries that do not have a long history of democratic government. Conde compared  to the more authoritarian presidents of the African continent is more of a reformer. Many times he was the opposition to previous administrations.  When elected to his first term, he promised to confront corruption and strengthen  democratic institutions. So far, these has progressed slowly and the public grows more restless. A third Conde term may not bring the change that Guinea desires.