Soldiers detain Guinea president as FG condemns ‘apparent coup’

The Federal Government of Nigeria yesterday said it was saddened by the apparent coup d’état that ousted President Alpha Conde of the Republic of Guinea.

In a statement by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esther Sunsuwa, it said the coup was in clear violation of the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance.

Guinea’s Special Forces had earlier on Sunday claimed to have captured Conde, detained him and “dissolved” the country’s institutions.

“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.” the statement read.

Conde is an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress.

Reports had it that the soldiers who staged an uprising in Guinea’s capital said on state television that they had dissolved the West African nation’s government and constitution and closed all land and air borders.

However, the defence ministry said an attack on the presidential palace in Conakry had been repelled.

Fighting broke out near the palace on Sunday morning, with several sources saying an elite national army unit led by a former French legionnaire, Mamady Doumbouya, was behind the unrest.

Videos shared on social media on Sunday afternoon, which Reuters could not immediately authenticate, showed President Alpha Conde in a room surrounded by army special forces.

Conde, whose whereabouts were not immediately clear, won a third term in October after changing the constitution to allow him to stand again, despite violent protests from the opposition, raising concerns of further political upheavals in a region that has seen coups in Mali and Chad in recent months.

Doumbouya appeared on state television draped in Guinea’s national flag and surrounded by eight other armed soldiers, saying his supporters planned to form a transitional government and would give further details later.

“We have dissolved government and institutions,” Doumbouya said.

“We call our brothers in arms to join the people,” he added.

As the defence ministry said security forces loyal to Conde had repulsed the attack and were restoring order, people emerged onto the streets during the afternoon to celebrate the uprising’s apparent success. (Reuters/NAN)