By Alhassan Sillah in Conakry
Guinea was brought to a standstill last week with prices of essential commodities skyrocketing amid a political logjam between President Alpha Conde and his supporters on the one hand, and an opposition and civil society coalition under the umbrella of the Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC) on the other.
It followed a call by the FNDC for their supporters to take to the streets against plans by President Conde to run for a third term. The call was heeded and the security forces responded by shooting at unarmed protesters killing at least nine.
Conakry remained tense over the weekend not least in areas such as Hamdallaye, Bambeto and Cosa which are strongholds of the opposition where all the killings and the rampaging by the security forces took place, in scenes never seen since the first democratic elections in 2010 which were won by Prof Alpha Conde in a controversial runoff poll.
The opposition have vowed with their street protests come what may until they stop Prof Conde from running for a third term.
President Conde was re-elected in 2015 in what was constitutionally his second and final term which ends next year. But with just a year left on his mandate, the president says he wants to hold a referendum to change some aspects of the constitution which he refers to as “notorious” lacunae that need to be addressed.
However, opposition parties and some civil society groups see this as a ploy by the president and his supporters to allow him to run for a third term.
Between 14 and 16 October when demonstrators took to the streets, at least 10 people were shot dead by the security forces with several dozens more suffering gunshot wounds.
The government at first vehemently disputed the numbers, claiming that only two people had died, before recanting and admitting that nine people had died.
It has promised to open an inquiry vowing that those who bear responsibility for the deaths will be punished by law.
Dozens of opposition FNDC supporters have been arrested among them the chairman, Abdulrahman Sano. They are currently being tried on allegations of rebellion and incitement.
There are concerns that if the situation in Guinea spirals out of control, it will lead to an influx of people into Sierra Leone which could cause instability. It will also affect trade between the two countries with Sierra Leone depending a great deal on imported goods from Guinea.
Since independence in 1958, the former French colony has not witnessed a democratic transfer of power from one elected leader to another. The country’s first president Sekou Toure died in office, as did his successor Lansana Conteh. The death of Gen Conte was followed by a series of military coups until Prof Conde was eventually elected in 2010.
© 2019 Politico Online
