Guinea coup not surprising – Kwesi Aning

Security analyst and Head of the Department of Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) Prof. Kwesi Aning says Sunday’s coup d’etat in Guinea did not come as a surprise.

According to him, several factors including corruption, high unemployment, and attempts by President Alpha Conde to change the country’s constitution contributed to Sunday’s unfortunate incident.

“In the Guinea case, embedded corruption, the investment that favour a particular group of people and youth who do not see any future with the way the country is being governed,” Prof Aning said, adding “the underlining causes leading to the violence in Chad, Mali and Guinea cut across.”

“Yesterday if you saw some of the videos, one word that came out was ‘freedom’ and I was struck. Freedom from what? Freedom from oppression, corruption etc.”

Soldiers who staged an uprising in Guinea’s capital on Sunday have said in a short broadcast on state television that they have dissolved the constitution and the government in the West African state. Unverified videos shared on social media on Sunday apparently showed President Alpha Conde being surrounded by soldiers. His whereabouts were unclear.

This followed earlier reports of heavy gunfire in Conakry near the presidential palace though it was unclear who was responsible. Guinea’s defence ministry said that an attack by mutinous special forces on the presidential palace had been repelled, though it was not immediately clear who held power.

The Soldiers have also ordered government ministers and national figures to attend a meeting later on Monday. The special force’s officers warned that anybody who failed to appear would be regarded as a rebel.

In a broadcast on state TV, they said regional governors have been replaced by military commanders, and the ousted president, Alpha Condé, was safe but in detention.

An indefinite nationwide curfew is in force. The coup has been condemned by the United Nations and African Union.