African Union Suspends Guinea
Ahamefula Ogbu
Barely a week after a junta led by Mamady Doumbouya forcefully toppled President Alpha Conde and took over power in Guinea, the African Union (AU) yesterday reacted by slamming a suspension on the regime and country.
The suspension was announced through the verified Twitter handle of the Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department of AU which further mandated the Chairperson of the Union, Moussa Faki, to engage stakeholders in the region.
Doumbouya of the special forces of Guinea had Sunday, ousted and detained Conde who he accused of trampling on the rights of the citizens.
He further accused the toppled former strongman of Guinea of disrespecting “democratic principles”, and also barred government officials from leaving the country until further notice.
Before he declared all borders to the country closed, the coupists asserted that, “The personalisation of political life is over. We will no longer entrust politics to one man; we will entrust it to the people.”
Conde, 83, was re-elected for a third term in office in October 2020 amid violent protests after he changed the constitution to enable him become eligible to contest.
The move which was resisted by the opposition led to some upheavals which culminated in several deaths.
Since the Putsch on September 5, several countries and world bodies have severally condemned it with the United Nations describing violent change of power as unacceptable.
Before the current suspension slammed in the junta, the regional body, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had taken same decision to suspend the country and insisted on a return to constitutional order and immediate release of Conde.
