Guinea’s most wanted fugitive,a former high-ranking military officer who escaped from prison last November, has been extradited from Liberia along with his son, according to officials.
Ex-Colonel Claude Pivi, who had been convicted in absentia for his involvement in the 2009 stadium massacre of opposition supporters in Conakry, will now serve his life sentence, the country’s military prosecutor confirmed.
Pivi and his son, Verny Pivi, were apprehended during a routine security check near the Guinea-Liberia border on Tuesday.
Photos circulating online show a frail-looking Claude Pivi in handcuffs next to his son, who is accused of masterminding his father’s prison escape.
Former military leader Moussa Dadis Camara, who was also freed during the jailbreak, was quickly recaptured and remains in custody, serving a 20-year sentence for crimes against humanity.
The charges against Pivi and Camara relate to the September 2009 massacre, in which Guinean troops opened fire on an opposition rally, killing over 156 people and raping dozens of women.
The rally was organised to demand a return to civilian rule, marking one of the darkest moments in Guinea’s history.
Known as “Coplan,” Pivi served as minister of presidential security in Camara’s regime.
The authorities had offered a reward of $58,000 (£43,700) for his capture. Pivi is back in the main prison in Conakry to serve his life sentence, military prosecutor Colonel Aly Camara said on Thursday.
“He was brought back to the central prison to serve his sentence in accordance with the law,” Col Camara added.
Fatoumata Diariou Camara, one of those caught up in the violence at the rally, told the AFP news agency she was “overjoyed” that he had been recaptured. “I pray that he will remain in prison forever,” she said.
Guinea‘s military junta expressed its discontent to Russia’s ambassador following the Russian embassy’s caution about potential unrest in Conakry after the dissolution of the government by junta leader Colonel Mamady Doumbouya.
The junta leader dissolved the government on Monday, ordering the closure of all borders without providing an explanation for the move. In response, Ambassador Alexey Popov apologized to the junta, citing a misunderstanding.
Col Doumbouya, who assumed power in a 2021 coup, not only dissolved the government but also directed the confiscation of passports from dismissed ministers and froze their bank accounts.
Reports from Guinean media revealed that the Russian embassy advised Russian nationals to be vigilant due to the potential for unrest in Conakry following Col Doumbouya’s decision.
In reaction, an official from the junta’s foreign ministry summoned Ambassador Popov to a meeting to address the matter. Mr Popov clarified that it was a misunderstanding, attributing it to a false translation published only in Russian for Russian citizens.
The junta accepted the apology, and Mr Popov asserted that the incident would not impact the relations between the two nations.
Guinea, like several other former French colonies in West Africa, has experienced coups in recent years. The juntas in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have turned towards Russia while displaying hostility towards France and the West African regional bloc, Ecowas.
Despite this trend, Col Doumbouya has aimed to maintain positive relations with all sides. He has committed to holding elections to reinstate democratic rule by the end of 2024.
The junta, however, imposed a ban on all demonstrations in 2022 and detained numerous opposition leaders and members of civil society groups.
Col Doumbouya came to power by overthrowing President Alpha Condé in September 2021, citing reasons such as rampant corruption, human rights violations, and economic mismanagement. President Condé, Guinea’s first democratically elected president, faced protests in 2019 when he changed the constitution to run for a third term after being re-elected in 2015.
Following their seizure of power in September 2021, Guinea’s military junta officially dissolved the existing government structure.
The formal announcement of this dissolution was conveyed via a presidential decree, read aloud on state television on Monday by Brigadier General Amara Camara, who serves as the Secretary General of the presidency.
General Camara chose not to disclose the rationale behind this dissolution nor did he specify a timeline for the establishment of a new governmental body.
As part of the dissolution process, ministers who were part of the now-dissolved government were instructed to surrender their official passports and vehicles. Furthermore, their financial accounts have been frozen as part of the administrative measures.
The junta has also issued directives to security agencies to enact border controls until full governmental control has been transferred to the junta.
In the interim period, lower-ranking officials have been tasked with the temporary management of state ministries until the appointment of a new government.
The government that was dissolved had been under the leadership of Prime Minister Bernard Goumou, who had been appointed to the position by the leader of the coup, Mamady Doumbouya.
Led by Colonel Doumbouya, the armed forces of Guinea carried out the coup d’état, overthrowing President Alpha Condé in September 2021, following extensive protests against his controversial bid for a third term.
Mohamed Bayo secured a dramatic last-minute victory for Guinea, propelling them into the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals with a 1-0 triumph over 10-man Equatorial Guinea.
The match appeared headed for extra time until Bayo headed in Ibrahim Diakite’s cross with just 22 seconds remaining in the last of eight minutes of stoppage time.
The game witnessed a prolonged VAR check, resulting in Equatorial Guinea being awarded a penalty for a foul by Sekou Sylla on Iban Salvador. However, captain Emilio Nsue’s spot-kick struck the base of the post.
The first half was characterized by a lack of goal-scoring opportunities, with an early shot from Bayo narrowly missing the target. The intensity increased in the second half, with Nsue squandering a chance and Guinea having a goal disallowed for offside.
The dynamics shifted when Equatorial Guinea’s Federico Bikoro received a red card for a high-footed challenge, reducing them to 10 men. Despite the numerical advantage, Guinea struggled to capitalize. Equatorial Guinea had an opportunity to take the lead from the penalty spot, but Nsue’s shot hit the post.
Guinea’s numerical superiority didn’t translate into clear chances until Bayo’s late heroics. His well-timed header secured the victory and a spot in the quarter-finals, ending a tense encounter in Abidjan.
Guinean Football Federation and the national team are urging fans to exercise restraint in their celebrations after six individuals lost their lives in the aftermath of Guinea’s 1-0 victory over Gambia at the Africa Cup of Nations on Friday.
Enthusiastic Guinea supporters took to the streets across the country to celebrate the win, which has placed coach Kaba Diawara’s team on the verge of advancing to the knockout rounds in the tournament held in Ivory Coast.
In response to the incidents, the Federation has released a video featuring the team, appealing to fans to celebrate responsibly. This call comes ahead of Guinea’s upcoming match against Senegal in the final pool stage on Tuesday.
“What is important is that our fans and the public celebrate in a very measured fashion,” the Federation’s media manager Amadou Makadji told the BBC.
“They have to be very careful not to put themselves in danger, because the goal of football is to bring joy and not leave families bereaved.”
A draw against Senegal would send Guinea into the round of 16 and they could advance even if they lose depending on other results.
“We do not want deaths to mourn, so we call on everyone to celebrate but to take care of themselves so that nothing happens to them,” Makadji said.
“Guinea is a country where people are very, very passionate about football and they experience football like nowhere else in the world.”
Aguibou Camara’s second-half goal secured a crucial 1-0 victory for Guinea over Gambia in Group C of the Africa Cup of Nations.
With both teams seeking their first win in the tournament, the goal came in the 69th minute when Camara slid home from Morgan Guilavogui’s cross.
The win propelled Guinea to four points in the group standings, setting the stage for a decisive final group game against current leaders Senegal.
Gambia’s coach, Tom Saintfiet, made five changes from their opening loss to Senegal, but chances were limited in the first half. Guinea came close to taking the lead in the 33rd minute, with Mohamed Bayo’s strike hitting the post.
The breakthrough came in the second half when Guilavogui set up Camara to poke home, beating Gambia defender James Gomez. Despite Bayo hitting the crossbar shortly after, Guinea held on for the 1-0 win.
The victory holds particular significance for Guinea, as Gambia had eliminated them in the last-16 stage of the 2021 edition.
Famous actor Will Smith surprised a man from Guinea by giving him a phone call. The man had traveled across Africa on a bicycle to go to university.
Last year, Mamadou Safayou Barry made news for walking a really long way – about 4,000 kilometers (or 2,500 miles).
In a video call to Cairo, where Mr Barry is studying, Smith told him he was very impressed by his hard work and gave him a new bike and a laptop as a gift.
“I want everyone to hear your story,” the main actor in many hit movies said.
In a video on Smith’s YouTube channel, the student seemed really surprised to be talking to the Men in Black actor. “Look, it’s Will Smith. ” Barry said with a smile. “I really like many of the movies you’ve made. ”
“I don’t know how to thank you. I really don’t know how to thank you,” he said when he found out about the presents.
Smith’s team reached out to the media in September after Mr. Barry’s story was published. They said it had moved the actor. They wanted to find out how to talk to him.
In May of last year, a 25-year-old person left Guinea in West Africa to go to Al-Azhar University in Egypt. They were hoping to get accepted there.
The man, who is married and has one child, couldn’t pay for a plane ticket. So, he rode his bike for four months through Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Niger, and Chad instead.
During his journey, he was stopped and held by the police three times without any good reason – two times in Burkina Faso and one time in Togo.
However, things changed for Mr. Barry when he got to Chad. A reporter talked to Mr. Barry and shared his story on the internet. This led some kind people to pay for a plane ticket for him to go to Egypt.
When he arrived in Cairo, he was given the chance to go to university to study Islamic subjects and then study engineering. He also got a full scholarship.
“When you decide to go on a trip, the universe works in your favor to support you,” Smith told Mr. Barry, who was smiling, quoting author Paulo Coelho.
In the video, someone is pushing a bicycle and giving it to the student, also giving him the laptop.
Smith gave vouchers so he can buy flights to Guinea to see his family, or so his family can come visit him.
Guinea has taken action by dismissing over 60 soldiers and prison officers following the jailbreak involving former junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara and two others.
Despite the “heavily armed commandos” breaking Capt. Camara out of his cell, he was recaptured and returned to prison shortly thereafter.
The individuals involved in this incident are currently on trial for their alleged roles in the deaths of over 150 people during a 2009 protest in the capital, Conakry. Besides Capt. Camara, two other escaped prisoners have also been located.
Capt. Camara’s lawyer previously stated to the BBC that the former leader was taken against his will and expressed confidence in the Guinean judicial system, asserting that he would not attempt to escape prison.
Junta leader Col Mamady Doumbouya on Sunday said in a decree that he fired the military and prison officers for “breach of employment and misconduct”, state broadcaster RTG reports.
The dismissed military officers encompass fugitives Claude Pivi, Moussa Thiegboro Camara, and Blaise Goumou. A search operation is currently in progress to locate Mr. Pivi, a former minister of presidential security in Dadis Camara’s junta, who remains at large.
Guinea is one of several former French colonies in West and Central Africa that have experienced coups in the last three years.
Moussa Dadis Camara, the previous leader of Guinea’s military group in 2008, has been caught again after running away from jail on Saturday, as stated by Guinea’s Ministry of Defense.
Camara was freed from prison in Conakry on Saturday by armed men, along with three other high-ranking officers, said Justice Minister Charles Wright.
According to the Ministry of Defense, two out of the three top officers, Moussa Tiegboro Camara and Blaise Gomou, have been caught again. The third officer named Colonel Claude Pivi is still not captured.
The people who escaped but were caught again are now safe and have been taken back to Maison Centrale de Conakry, a prison in Guinea’s capital.
“The Ministry of Defense said they have done everything they can to catch the last person who escaped. ” I urge people again to keep doing their daily tasks without any restrictions.
On Saturday, people who live in the area told Reuters that military vehicles and special forces were patrolling the streets of the Guinean capital. This happened after gunshots were heard in the Kaloum administrative district, where Camara and others were being kept in the Central House prison.
It was early in the morning, around 5:00 a. mOne in the morning A group of men with a lot of weapons went into the Central House of Conakry. They were able to leave with four people on trial for the events of September. The minister said on the radio that there were 28 people, including Captain Moussa Dadis Camara.
“He said they will be found no matter where they are, but didn’t provide more information about the investigation. ”
He said that Guinea has closed its borders to stop people from escaping the country.
Camara and other people have been in court since last year, facing charges of planning a stadium attack and widespread sexual assault by Guinean security forces. This incident happened during a protest for democracy on September 28, 2009, and resulted in the death of 150 people.
Camara said it wasn’t his fault and blamed the bad actions on the soldiers who made mistakes.
People who live in the area close to Kaloum said that they heard gunshots for the first time at around 04:00 in the morning. The current time is midnight or 12:00 in the morning. After that, the security on the streets became stricter and the entrance to Kaloum was closed off.
In the morning, the capital looked peaceful. There were still many soldiers around, telling people to stay home. Mmah Camara, who lives in Tombo district, said this over the phone.
In simple words, Guinea is being ruled by a military leader named Mamady Doumbouya. He came into power by forcefully taking control in 2021. This is one of eight similar incidents that have occurred in West and Central Africa over the past three years. Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Gabon are countries where the government is controlled by military officers.
Some armed men entered a prison and helped a former ruler of Guinea, who is believed to be involved in a terrible attack, to escape.
Moussa ‘Dadis’ Camara ran away from the main jail in Guinea’s capital city of Conakry while there was a lot of shooting happening on Saturday morning.
The justice minister, Charles Alphonse Wright, said that the borders of the West African country will be closed soon.
Camara, who took control of the government through a rebellion in 2008, was arrested because of his involvement in a violent incident at a stadium in 2009.
He is one of many people accused of being involved in the killings. The killings happened when security forces from Guinea shot at peaceful protesters who were protesting against Camara taking power and planning to run for president.
According to organizations that support people’s rights, 157 people who were demonstrating were killed. Camara says he isn’t responsible for anything.
Other people who managed to get out of prison today include Claude Pivi and Blaise Goumou. They used to have important jobs in the government and are accused of being involved in a violent killing. We will locate them. “And the people who are responsible will be punished,” he said in an interview with the local radio station Fim FM.
Camara lived in Burkina Faso and Guinea for many years because he was forced to leave his home. The government of Guinea were afraid that if he returned, it could cause problems in the country.
But, he came back in 2021 after another takeover where the military took control.
Two weeks ago, in the UK, a search was started for two prisoners who had escaped from jail.
The security force in Guinea have arrested around twelve journalists who were protesting against censorship of the media in the country, according to local media.
According to local media, one of the people arrested in Monday’s protests was Sekou Jamal Pendessa, who is the secretary-general of the Union of Professionals of the Press of Guinea (SPPG).
The union organized a protest in the capital city of Conakry to ask the government to remove restrictions on a well-liked news website called Guineematin. They also protested against other actions that limit people’s freedom to report news.
According to reports, access to Guineematin has been stopped in Guinea for the past two months.
The group in charge of Guinea, which has stopped people from protesting since 2022, has not given a reason for why they are blocking protests.
“The police and gendarmerie forces used tear gas against us,” said Abdouramane Diallo, an official from the SPPG, in an interview with AFP.
He said a reporter got a small injury during the protests.
The reporters were taken to a court because they were accused of being involved in a gathering that was against the law.
our people were killed in fights between protesters and security forces in Guinea on the day when the country remembered the second anniversary of a military takeover, according to activists.
The Forces Vives, which is a group of political parties, trade unions, and civil society groups that want civilian rule to come back quickly, stated on Facebook that four young men between the ages of 15 and 18 have died.
It was reported that two people died in the capital city, Conakry, when armed security forces attacked areas where political activists live. This happened on Monday, right before planned protests against the government.
The two other teenagers were murdered on Tuesday and at least twelve others got shot and hurt, according to Forces Vives.
The military government, who had told people not to join the protests, has not said anything about the most recent event.
Forces Vives is worried about the elections taking too long to happen.
Many people have protested against Mamady Doumbouya, a military officer who is currently the temporary president, and these protests have often become violent.
The junta suggested a plan to switch to democracy in two years last October, after the group Ecowas refused a plan that would have taken three years.
The government of Guinea is one of a few military governments in West and Central Africa that have taken control through a series of coup d’états since 2020. Many of them still need to have elections like they promised.
Some member states of the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS) did not attend the ECOWAS military chiefs meeting held in Accra, which started on Thursday, August 16, 2023.
The meeting was a follow-up to the directive of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its Extraordinary Summit on the political situation in Niger held on August 10, 2023 in Abuja, Nigeria. The ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff (CCDS) was tasked to activate the ECOWAS Standby Force for the restoration of constitutional order in Niger.
The CCDS had an extraordinary meeting in Accra, Ghana from August 17 to 18, 2023 to finalise plans for the deployment of the Standby Force.
Addressing the gathering on the first day of the meeting, Minister of Defence of Ghana Dominic Nitiwul explained that some countries, including Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Guinea, were absent due to the sanctions imposed on them.
“Four of our member states [Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Guinea] are now facing sanctions for resorting to unconstitutional change of government which contradicts the ECOWAS protocol on good governance and democracy,” he said.
According to ECOWAS, these countries have been suspended from its bodies and have faced economic and financial sanctions after their respective military coups that ousted their elected leaders. Mali underwent two coups in August 2020 and May 2021, followed by Guinea in September 2021 and Burkina Faso in January 2023.
ECOWAS has been keen to limit political instability in the region and has urged the military juntas to shorten their transition periods and return to civilian rule.
Also, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde were also present. According to the Minister, they had “genuine reasons” for their absence.
Ghana’s Black Queens embark on their Olympic Games qualification journey today, aiming to secure a spot in the 2024 Paris Games.
After the Black Meteors’ unsuccessful bid for qualification, the women’s team is determined to represent the country in Paris.
In the first round of African qualifiers, the Black Queens face Guinea as their opponents.
The first leg of this encounter is scheduled for today.
Despite being the away team, Ghana’s Black Queens are confident of victory, as emphasized by head coach Nora Hauptle during a pre-match press conference. She expressed her belief that her players understand how to secure a win on foreign soil.
“We have different task given to the players. Everybody has a role, positioning and game plan that they need to stick on. I demand my players mostly to work with cohesion, support each other and fight for each other,” Coach Nora Hauptle said.
The Swiss tactician continued, “These are the tasks and they know what to do for a sure win tomorrow.”
The match between Guinea and Ghana is scheduled to kick off at 16:00gmt today at Stade de Generale Lansana Conte.
A heartbreaking incident unfolded near the town of Kouroussa in Upper Guinea, where a group of young schoolgirls faced a fateful journey to take their college entrance exams.
In a devastating turn of events, their hopes and dreams were tragically cut short as their canoe capsized on the Niger River.
Officials, including a minister and a relative of one of the victims, have confirmed that at least seven precious lives have been lost in this harrowing accident.
This devastating loss has sent shockwaves through the community, leaving a deep sense of grief as the nation mourns the untimely demise of these aspiring students.
“We are struck by this bad news of the shipwreck of seven students who have lost their lives,” the Minister of Pre-university Education and Literacy, Guillaume Hawing , who is in the region for launch the first tests of the examination.
Mamadi Kéita, a security guard, told AFP that he lost his half-sister in this drowning. “She was leaving with her comrades for the other side of the Niger River to face the first tests of their 7th-year entrance exam which begins on Monday”.
“They embarked in an overloaded canoe which capsized under the weight of passengers and goods”, he added in tears on the telephone. “All the girls came from Kourala district and were going to Balato sub-prefecture, 40 km from Kouroussa prefecture,” he said.
Another local source assured AFP anonymously that the toll was only provisional and could be heavier. The operations to find bodies continue Sunday evening.
Conakry resident Mariame Diallo pointed to blood splatters on a wall where she said her adolescent brother was shot at close range during a rally against Guinea’s military administration on May 11.
“I will never forgive those who killed him,” she said between bouts of quiet crying.
Clutching a bag of blood-soaked clothes that she hopes will be used for a police investigation that has yet to begin, she recalled how her apprentice brother, Boubacar, fearing the anti-government demonstrations, stayed at home, only to be shot dead by police in front of the family house.
A spokesman for the Guinean government did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comments on Thursday.
Boubacar was one of the seven people killed that day in the West African nation as anti-government protests and violent clashes with security forces gain momentum over frustrations with military leaders overseeing a promised return to democratic rule.
Smoke billowing from burning tyres and other debris has become a common sight in Conakry since fuel price hikes triggered the first major protest against the military government last June.
Many more protests have followed. At least 32 were injured in unrest this month, and the army was deployed to quell planned demonstrations in the capital last week.
It was the latest clampdown as anger mounts against military governments that seized power in a series of coups in the West and Central Africa region since 2020, with frustrations growing over the slow pace of a planned return to constitutional rule.
Transitional authorities in Burkina Faso and Mali have also grown increasingly hostile towards critics who have highlighted their failures to protect citizens from armed groups – a factor that helped spur the military takeovers.
In Guinea, opposition political parties had at first cautiously welcomed the September 2021 coup that removed long-serving President Alpha Conde, who sparked anger for changing the constitution to allow him to run for a third term.
But relations with interim government leader Colonel Mamady Doumbouya soured after main opposition parties rejected a 36-month transition to elections approved by the interim parliament last May.
Doumbouya’s government banned all public demonstrations in response and has since cracked down on the string of street protests that followed, drawing rebuke from rights groups and the United Nations.
At least 24 people have been killed since June and dozens arrested, including high-profile activists, opposition parties and civil society groups say.
Authorities have acknowledged “victims” but not given a figure.
“The military junta can’t give us hope and then act even worse than the regime it replaced,” said Conakry resident Souleymane Bah, 34, adding that people wanted the military to organise elections.
Last October, the government cut its transition timeline to two years after the Economic Commission for West African States (ECOWAS) rejected its three-year transitional plan and imposed sanctions.
“We plan to respect all the deadlines,” said Guinea spokesman Ousmane Gaoual Diallo.
This has failed to appease opposition parties.
“Three feelings dominate Guineans: weariness, disappointment and disgust at the perjury of Mamadi Doumbouya,” Nadia Nahman, spokesperson to Cellou Diallo, leader of the main opposition party, UFDG, told Al Jazeera.
“[Doumbouya] was sworn in as president of the transition and pledged to “consolidate democratic gains” while committing Guinea to its “national and international commitments” but he has betrayed all of his commitments with the bloody repression of peaceful demonstrations,” she added.
Diallo fled the country to Senegal last year after Guinean authorities accused him of corruption.
Last week, angry crowds gathered around the grieving relatives and friends of people killed in the latest unrest. Many were crying and holding up pictures of their loved ones on their phones.
The government of Ghana has signed an agreement establishing a Joint Commission for Cooperation with Guinea-Bissau.
The document is to serve as the legal framework for addressing the trade and investment ambitions of the two countries.
This was signed during a two-day state visit by President Akufo-Addo to Guinea Bissau as part of efforts to further deepen strong relations.
This is in honour of an invitation by Guinea-Bissau’s President, His Excellency Umaru Sissoco Embalo, Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS.
The two countries trade in plastic, furniture, vehicles, aluminum among others. Recent data shows that as of 2019, Ghana exports to Guinea Bissau stood at $441.41 (thousand).
President Akufo-Addo together with a delegation including Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, and officials from the Presidency and Foreign Ministry left for Guinea Bissau on Sunday, May 14, 2023.
The two presidents, according to the Presidency, will “explore other areas of co-operation to their mutual benefit.”
As part of his visit, President Akufo-Addo will receive the Amilcar Cabral Medal, the highest national honour of Guinea-Bissau and deliver a lecture at the Law Faculty of the University of Amilcar Cabral.
Akufo-Addo welcomed by state officials in Guinea-Bissau
He will also interact with the contingent of Ghanaian soldiers stationed in Bissau, who are part of the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission.
The President will return to Ghana on Tuesday, 16th May 2018, and in his absence, the Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, shall, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the Constitution, act in his stead.
From a ship flying the flag ofSierra Leone, authorities in Guinea have seized 1.5 tonnes of cocaine. According to the AFP news agency, the crew was made up of four Sierra Leoneans, three Ghanaians, and three Guineans.
Guinean television claims that they have all now been detained.
According to the Reuters news agency, authorities discovered more than 60 bags, each of which contained 25kg (3.9 stone) of cocaine.
Three doctors have been found guilty of the death of a young patient who was the victim of a hospital rape by a court in Guinea.
In 2021, the government reported that M’Mah Sylla had passed away in Tunisia, where she had been flown for medical attention after being raped.
The case caused a great deal of outrage in Guinea.
A court in the capital Conakry has now sentenced Daniel and Patrice Lamah to 15 years in prison and a third doctor, Celestin Millimouna – who is on the run – was given a 20-year sentence.
They were all found guilty of assault and battery as well as carrying out an abortion.
Patrice Lamah and Millimouna were also found guilty of rape.
Three doctors have been sentenced by a court in Guinea over death of a young woman who was raped in hospital.
The government said in 2021 that M’Mah Sylla, had died in Tunisia where she had been evacuated for treatment after being raped.
The case caused a great deal of outrage in Guinea.
A court in the capital Conakry has now sentenced Daniel and Patrice Lamah to 15 years in prison and a third doctor, Celestin Millimouna – who is on the run – was given a 20-year sentence.
They were all found guilty of assault and battery as well as carrying out an abortion.
Patrice Lamah and Millimouna were also found guilty of rape.
Ghana’s first president of,Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, had his image engraved on a Guinean coin.
Dr. Kwame is said to have been close friends with Guinea’s first president, Sekou Toure as during his reign as president of Ghana, he sent £10 million to Guinea when its economy was being destroyed for voting for independence from France.
During Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s overthrow in 1966, Sekou Toure said “Ghanaian traitors have been mistaken in thinking that Nkrumah is simply a Ghanaian. He is a universal man.”
Ghana’s first president went into exile in Guinea after a coup to overthrow him in 1966 and was made a co-president of thecountry by his friend, Sekou Toure.
Sekou Toure revered and loved his friend so much that even in death, he honoured Dr. Kwame Nkrumah by embossing his face on the 5 sylis note and coin of Guinea.
This syli currency was Guinea’s legal tender between 1971 and 1985 and the word means elephant.
The US government has pledged to give five countries in West Africa $100 million to help fight potential extreme terrorism.
The countries include Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, Guinea, and Togo.
This is in line with the US initiative to boost it eliminate violence and propel stability in areas vulnerable to conflict. US commits $100m to help combat terrorism in coastal West Africa
This was announced by US Vice President Kamala Harris during her visit to the Jubilee House in Accra.
She was hosted by President Akufo-Addowhere they both held pertinent discussions of mutual interest.
“Today I am pleased to announce $100 million in support of Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo,” she said on Monday.
“Last week President Joe Biden announced a strategic plan for coastal West Africa as part of the United States strategy to prevent conflict and promote stability.”
She expressed hope that the funding will help implement the policy outlined by US President Joe Biden in the strategic plan. US commits $100m to help combat terrorism in coastal West Africa
Madam Harris is currently embarking on a one-week tour which will see her visit Ghana and two other African countries – Tanzania and Zambia.
Two people died Thursday in clashes between anti-junta protesters and security forces in Guinea, a municipal official and relatives of the deceased told AFP, with the country’s opposition coalition reporting “many arrests” and injuries from live ammunition.
Protesters took to the streets to demand a return to civilian rule, and the release of arrested activists and other political prisoners under the military junta that seized power in the West African nation in 2021.
Young demonstrators hurled stones and erected barricades in the suburbs of the capital Conakry as police officers and gendarmes fired tear gas to try to disperse them. Gunfire was also heard.
Abdoul Karim Bah told AFP his 18-year-old nephew had been shot in the neighbourhood of Hamdallaye and died before he reached hospital.
He said the teenager was not taking part in the protest but was working in the area as a motorcycle taxi driver when he was killed.
Another victim, who was 16 years old, was shot in the Sonfonia neighbourhood, according to his father, Mamadou Diallo. He was taken to hospital and later died of his injuries, the father said.
Cellou Kansala Diallo, vice-mayor of the Conakry suburb of Ratoma, confirmed both deaths.
The West African country’s ruling military junta has been in power since a 2021 coup toppled former president Alpha Conde.
Last May, it announced a three-year ban on all demonstrations likely to “hinder activities.”
The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), a coalition of opposition parties and civil society groups, has nonetheless called several protests, several of which have resulted in civilian deaths.
The FNDC said earlier that around 30 people sustained injuries, some from gunshot wounds, and reported “many arrests”.
Several journalists and eyewitnesses reported the presence of soldiers among the security forces, supporting social media accounts and the FNDC, which said the authorities had resorted to army units for reinforcement.
Alseny Sall, spokesman for the Guinean Organisation for the Defence of Human Rights, said using the army was “a concerning situation… we don’t understand what can justify such a decision”.
An AFP journalist said that soldiers harassed and insulted him and that his camera’s memory card was seized.
The authorities have not commented on the events.
The junta, led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, has ordered the dissolution of the FNDC and pledged to restore civilian rule after implementing government reforms.
The transition period was fixed at two years beginning from January this year following pressure from the regional ECOWAS bloc, which has also had to deal with coups in Mali and Burkina Faso since 2020.
Guinea’s opposition — which accuses the junta of crushing dissent — has refused to engage with the regime on the terms of the transition period.
Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso’s foreign ministries have requested that their nations be allowed to rejoin the two regional blocs that had suspended them following recent military coups.
In a joint statement, the ministers said they had agreed to work together to push for the lifting of their suspensions from the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas).
Abdoulaye Diop of Mali, Morissanda Kouyate of Guinea and Burkina’s Olivia Rouamba held talks in Ouagadougou where they “agreed to pool their efforts and undertake joint initiatives for the lifting of the suspension measures and other restrictions” taken by the AU and Ecowas.
The coups in Mali and Burkina Faso were triggered by frustrations following a jihadist insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives in the Sahel countries.
Guinea’s coup, on the other hand, was as a result of public anger against then President Alpha Conde who sought a third term in office, contrary to the provisions of the constitution.
Former military commander of Guinea, Moussa Dadis Camara has reportedly denied being responsible for the 2009 stadium massacre.
More than 150 people were killed, and women and girls were raped at the protest against military rule 13 years ago.
Monday was the first time that Capt Camara gave evidence at the trial which began in September.
Ten other former officials are on trial alongside Capt Camara, who is charged with having command responsibility over the soldiers who carried out the alleged crimes.
Capt Camara told the judge that he does not recognise the charges and then proceeded to make a long speech in which he referenced European philosophers and Egyptian Pharaohs, AFP reports.
On the day of the killings, 28 September 2009, security forces tried to stop the rally going ahead and allegedly blocked off the exits to a stadium in Conakry, before opening fire. Some protesters were shot dead or attacked with knives, while others were trampled on.
The long-delayed trial is the first involving human rights violations on this scale in Guinea, rights group Human Rights Watch has said.
Capt Camara was supposed to have given evidence last week but proceedings were delayed as he was unwell.
The 58-year-old seized power in 2008 when long-time President Lansana Conté died, but he was ousted and fled the country not long after the Conakry killings, following an assassination attempt.
He had been living in Burkina Faso before returning to Guinea for the trial.
The former president of Guinea, Alpha Condé, will now face penalties, according to American authorities’ announcement on Friday.
The sanctions are related to violence against opponents before being ousted in a coup in 2021.
The former Guinean leader will have his US assets frozen. All transactions involving Alpha Condé will also be criminalized.
Condé became the first democratically elected president of Guinea in 2010 but after two terms was accused of rising authoritarianism, culminating in a bloody crackdown against protestors in 2020.
According to the US Treasury Department, Alpha Condé, who is now 84 years old, was engaged in “serious human rights abuse“.
Several Guinean political leaders were questioned and held in custody all day on Monday 24 October, leading the country’s opposition to denounce what they say is a fresh attempt, by the ruling junta, to silence dissent.
According to one of their lawyers, Fodé Oussou Fofana, Cellou Baldé, Bano Sow, Mamadou Sylla, Dembo Sylla, Pépé Francis, Etienne Soropogui and Bouya Konaté are being prosecuted for their participation in, or support for, last week’s anti-juntaprotestsin which three people died.
“We believe that our clients benefit from the presumption of innocence and have already told their part of the truth in relation to the charges brought against them, which were even mentioned in the letters of convocation, namely prohibited assembly, provocation of prohibited demonstrations and several other assaults and injuries, and others.” Me Salifou Béavogui, Lawyer of some of the indicted political leaders said.
The politicians were later released in the evening, but are due to appear again on Thursday.
The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC) had called for the protest to demand a quick return to a civilian led government and the release of all prisoners detained for political reasons.
In a statement released last week, the group called the ruling junta “dictatorial.” and identified the three people killed as Thierno Bella Diallo, Boubacar Diallo and Thierno Moussa Barry. It also added that 20 people suffered gunshot wounds while many others were arrested.
Justice Minister Alphonse Charles Wright confirmed their deaths in a statement on Friday, but said the causes “remain to be clarified by autopsy”.
He ordered prosecutions, without commenting on the alleged perpetrators but stressed that the authorities’ were determined to combat impunity.
– ‘More severe sanctions’ –
Rights activists regularly accuse Guinean police and gendarmes of using excessive force, and the authorities of turning a blind eye in a country with a history of political violence.
The justice minister ordered the identification “without delay” of a member of the security forces whose image has gone viral on social networks. A video shows him firing a pistol at a target who is not visible in the footage.
The poor but mineral-rich West African state has been under military government since a September 2021 coup that ousted president Alpha Conde after more than 10 years in power.
An alliance of political parties, trade unions and civil groups, the FNDC spearheaded protests against Conde before his ouster.
It was officially dissolved in August by the junta-appointed government.
The coalition had called for peaceful demonstrations to take place in Conakry on Thursday, followed by nationwide protests on October 26.
West African leaders suspended Guinea from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and imposed sanctions last month on a number of individuals.
It gave the ruling junta one month to present a “reasonable and acceptable” timetable for the return of civilian rule, an ultimatum that theoretically expires this weekend.
If they fail to do so, ECOWAS has warned that it will adopt “more severe sanctions”.
Young protesters clashed on Thursday with security forces in the Guinean capital Conakry after a banned group called for demonstrations against the country’s ruling junta, an AFP reporter saw.
The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), which had called the protest, said five people had suffered gunshot wounds, one of whom was in critical condition.
There was no immediate corroboration of this toll from other sources.
The poor but mineral-rich West African state has been under military government since a September 2021 coup that ousted president Alpha Conde after more than 10 years in power.
An alliance of political parties, trade unions and civil groups, the FNDC spearheaded protests against Conde before his ouster.
It was officially dissolved in August by the junta-appointed government.
The coalition had called for peaceful demonstrations to take place in Conakry on Thursday, followed by nationwide protests on October 26.
It is pushing for a rapid return to civilian rule and the release of prisoners that it says have been detained for political reasons.
Military leader Colonel Mamady Doumbouya has appointed himself president and undertaken to restore civilian rule within three years.
The unrest coincides with a visit to the country by the West African bloc ECOWAS, which on September 24 gave Guinea a month to propose a new timeframe, or else face a tightening of sanctions that it has imposed.
A judge in Guinea has rejected a request from a former military ruler, Moussa Dadis Camara, that he be placed under house arrest rather than remain in prison during his trial for mass murder.
Captain Camara was returned to the country last month after 12 years in exile.
He’s on trial together with 10 other former officials over atrocities that took place in 2009 soon after he seized power.
He’s charged with being responsible for the killing by soldiers of more than 150 people and the rape of more than 100 womenat an opposition rally in a Conakry stadium.
Former military leader Moussa Dadis Camara requested that he be placed under home arrest rather than continue to be imprisoned while facing charges of mass murder, but the judge in Guinea denied his plea.
Captain Camara was returned to the country last month after 12 years in exile.
He’s on trial together with 10 other former officials over atrocities that took place in 2009 soon after he seized power.
He’s charged with being responsible for the killing of soldiers of more than 150 people and the rape of more than 100 women at an opposition rally in a Conakry stadium.
Guinea’s former military ruler Moussa Dadis Camara is going on trial over one of the country’s worst massacres.
Capt Camara returned from 12 years in exile to “clear his name which has been dragged through the mud”, his lawyer told the BBC.
More than 150 people were killed, and women and girls were raped at a 2009 protest against military rule.
“I was raped, assaulted, floored by a soldier who even asked me if he could cut off my arms,” one woman said.
“I can no longer lift my arm”, 63-year-old Anissa, not her real name, told the BBC. She is a former member of an opposition party.
“I had the shoulder blade broken, the foot split, they had to sew that up. My hips were split.”
Ten other former officials are going on trial alongside Capt Camara, who is charged with having command responsibility over the soldiers who carried out the alleged crimes.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan welcomed the start of the trial: “On this important day I applaud the people of Guinea, the survivors and those who lost loved ones”.
“The start of this trial is only the beginning. My Office will be watching very closely. The presumption of innocence is critical,” Mr Khan said.
It has also been welcomed by the UN’s Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif: “Victims and relatives have been waiting for 13 years for truth, justice and reparations. Today’s opening of this long-awaited judicial process is a crucial step for Guinea in its fight against impunity.”
The trial should be carried out in “in a victim-sensitive manner, and in accordance with international standards”, Ms Al-Nashif added.
On the day of the killings, on 28 September 2009, security forces tried to stop the rally going ahead and allegedly blocked off the exits to a stadium in the capital, Conakry, before opening fire. Some protesters were shot dead or attacked with knives, while others were trampled on.
The long-delayed trial will be the first involving human rights violations on this scale in Guinea, says rights group Human Rights Watch.
‘We demand justice’
The many years of waiting have been difficult for the victims but they say that they are pleased the trial is finally going ahead.
“We demand justice, nothing else but justice,” said Anissa.
She said she was still emotionally scarred from what happened to her and does not like returning to the stadium where she was assaulted.
“Even today it scares me. It’s the scars that come back. It is the trauma that comes back. So I can’t, I really can’t.”
Victims of rape are often stigmatised in Guinea and it is believed that many victims of sexual assault in the stadium have not come forward because of this.
IMAGE SOURCE,AFP
Image caption, The violence meted out at Conakry stadium still haunts victims years later
Capt Camara, 58, seized power in 2008 when long-time President Lansana Conté died, but he was ousted and fled the country not long after the Conakry killings and following an assassination attempt. He had been living in Burkina Faso before returning to Guinea on Sunday.
He was detained ahead of the trial, according to his lawyer, Pépé Antoine Lamah, who said this was a violation of the law.
After Capt Camara left Guinea, an investigation was set up to establish the facts surrounding the tragedy – it sat from 2010 to 2017. During that time some alleged perpetrators were charged, including Capt Camara.
In 2018, a committee was set up to organise the trial, but concerns were raised about lack of progress because it was not meeting regularly.
It was the current military junta head – Col Mamady Doumbouya – who came to power after a coup in 2021, who ordered the trial to be held.
The environment ministryhas announced that the oldest chimpanzee in Guinea passed away at the age of roughly 71.
Fana had been living alone as she became less mobile following a severe fall that paralyzed her left upper limb about 25 years ago, according to the AFP news agency.
She lived in a forest around the village of Bossou in the far south-eastern corner of Guinea.
Her death brings the number of Bossou chimpanzees down to six or seven, AFP reports.
The chimpanzees drew international attention in 2009 after researchers found they used stone hammers and anvils to crack open nuts – something that they were not known to do.
Fana was found dead on 19 September and she was buried the next day in the presence of local villagers, the ministry said.
She had been showing signsof exhaustion in recent months, it added.
An investigation of one of Guinea’sdeadliest killings is being conducted by Moussa Dadis Camara, a former military leader.
Following a 12-year exile, Capt. Camara returned to “clean his name which has been dragged through the dirt,” according to his attorney, who spoke to the BBC.
More than 150 people were killed, and women and girls were raped at a 2009 protest against military rule.
“I was raped, assaulted, floored by a soldier who even asked me if he could cut off my arms,” one woman said.
“I can no longer lift my arm”, 63-year-old Anissa, not her real name, told the BBC. She is a former member of an opposition party.
“I had the shoulder blade broken, the foot split, they had to sew that up. My hips were split.”
Ten other former officials are going on trial alongside Capt Camara, who is charged with having command responsibility over the soldiers who carried out the alleged crimes.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan welcomed the start of the trial: “On this important day I applaud the people of Guinea, the survivors, and those who lost loved ones”.
“The start of this trial is only the beginning. My Office will be watching very closely. The presumption of innocence is critical,” Mr Khan said.
It has also been welcomed by the UN’s Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif: “Victims and relatives have been waiting for 13 years for truth, justice, and reparations. Today’s opening of this long-awaited judicial process is a crucial step for Guinea in its fight against impunity.”
The trial should be carried out in “in a victim-sensitive manner, and in accordance with international standards”, Ms Al-Nashif added.
On the day of the killings, on 28 September 2009, security forces tried to stop the rally going ahead and allegedly blocked off the exits to a stadium in the capital, Conakry, before opening fire. Some protesters were shot dead or attacked with knives, while others were trampled on.
The long-delayed trial will be the first involving human rights violations on this scale in Guinea, says rights group Human Rights Watch.
‘We demand justice’
The many years of waiting have been difficult for the victims but they say that they are pleased the trial is finally going ahead.
“We demand justice, nothing else but justice,” said Anissa.
She said she was still emotionally scarred from what happened to her and does not like returning to the stadium where she was assaulted.
“Even today it scares me. It’s the scars that come back. It is the trauma that comes back. So I can’t, I really can’t.”
Victims of rape are often stigmatized in Guinea and it is believed that many victims of sexual assault in the stadium have not come forward because of this.
IMAGE SOURCE,AFP Image caption, The violence meted out at Conakry stadium still haunts victims years later
Capt Camara, 58, seized power in 2008 when long-time President Lansana Conté died, but he was ousted and fled the country not long after the Conakry killings and following an assassination attempt. He had been living in Burkina Faso before returning to Guinea on Sunday.
He was detained ahead of the trial, according to his lawyer, Pépé Antoine Lamah, who said this was a violation of the law.
After Capt Camara left Guinea, an investigation was set up to establish the facts surrounding the tragedy – it sat from 2010 to 2017. During that time some alleged perpetrators were charged, including Capt Camara.
In 2018, a committee was set up to organize the trial, but concerns were raised about the lack of progress because it was not meeting regularly.
It was the current military junta head – Col Mamady Doumbouya – who came to power after a coup in 2021, who ordered the trial to be held.
In response to the coup in Conakry last year, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has decided to impose sanctions on individuals in Guinea’s military government.
The leaders from the bloc met in New York where they were attending the UN General Assembly.
They agreed on “gradual sanctions” on a list of people linked to the Guinean junta who will be identified “very soon”, the AFP news agency reports.
In a statement, the Guinean interim prime minister, Bernard Gomou, had earlier described the Ecowas chief and president of neighbouring Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, as a “puppet” and an “overexcited” man who had “forced his way in” to lead the regional organisation.
Guinea was suspended from Ecowas following the coup in September last year.
A day after being declared Guinea’s president for a controversial third term by the constitutional court, incumbent Alpha Conde staged an hour-long walkabout in Conakry on Sunday
But the 82-year-old did so with bodyguards surrounding him after his main opponent Cellou Dalein Diallo called for resistance “by all legal means”.
The scenes of jubilation during his hour walk in the capital are a far cry from the deadly clashes seen after he pushed through changes to the constitution that allowed him to run again.
Guinean people who decide
With 59.5 per cent of the votes cast, Conde’s support surpassed the absolute majority needed to win in the first round, judges found, throwing out challenges to the October 18 ballot from figures that include his main opponent.
“Despite all the threats, despite everything, the people of Guinea mobilized massively, especially women and young people voted massively,” Conde said.
“Since 1958, the people have shown that in Guinea it is the Guinean people who decide, and no one else.”
Conde also pledged to take a look at outstanding issues between Guinea and France, the ex-colonial power, again without providing details.
After months of violent confrontation and a bitter campaign, he insisted the time had come to “reach out” to opponents and improve the daily lives of the country’s inhabitants.
Violence and deadly clashes
Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the world and has seen frequent bouts of political violence.
Its politics are mainly drawn along ethnic lines: the president’s base is among the ethnic Malinke community, while Diallo has strong backing among the Fulani people.
The official count from the Ceni national election commission gave Diallo 33.5 percent.
But the 68-year-old insists that data his activists gathered at polling stations shows he won the vote and is the victim of fraud.
While observers from other African countries have backed the official results, France, the European Union and United States have cast doubt on them.
Diallo accused judges of “putting themselves at the service of a man and his ambitions, rather than upholding their oath”.
There is no way for Conde’s opponents to appeal the constitutional court decision, leaving the path clear for the president to begin a new six-year term — with the option for a second under a new constitution introduced in March.
Clashes between security forces and Diallo supporters after the election again proved deadly, with the opposition saying 46 people were killed in a “wave of terror” while the government put the toll at 21, including some gendarmes.
Diallo’s UFDG party has published a list of names of the dead, including photographs of their corpses, matching its higher count, which comes on top of 90 people it says had already been killed since October last year.
Amnesty International has accused Guinean security forces of firing live rounds at protesters in the post-election unrest.
Tensions remained high in Guinea on Tuesday, after a night of unrest sparked by an opposition claim to victory in an election against President Alpha Conde, who is seeking a controversial third term.
The West African state’s main opposition leader, Cellou Dalein Diallo, announced Monday that he had won the hotly contested October 18 poll without waiting for the official results.
“I invite all my fellow citizens who love peace and justice to defend this democratic victory,” he had declared.
But Conde’s camp rejected the self-proclaimed win, and joyous celebrations from opposition supporters in the capital Conakry quickly descended into violent clashes with security forces.
Diallo, 68, tweeted on Monday night that security forces had fired into a crowd and shot dead “three boys”, leaving several wounded. He blamed Conde for the “crimes”.
Guinea’s government did not confirm the deaths. An AFP journalist saw three injured people and heard gunfire in a Conakry suburb on Monday night.
‘Irresponsible and dangerous’
The unrest follows months of protests against a potential third term for 82-year-old President Conde in the poor former French colony, during which dozens of people were killed.
Although the polling day was mostly calm, Diallo’s self-proclaimed election victory has set the stage for a showdown with Conde.
The government insists the vote was fair and that only the official electoral authority can declare the results, which are due within a week.
Conde’s RPG party also called Diallo’s move “irresponsible and dangerous” on Monday.
The international community is concerned too. The United Nations, African Union, and the 15-nation West Africa bloc ECOWAS, called the premature declaration of results “regrettable”, in a joint statement on Monday.
“This state of affairs is not conducive to preserving calm,” the statement said.
Bakary Mansare, the vice-president of Guinea’s electoral authority, told AFP that Diallo’s self-proclaimed victory was “null and void”.
Signs of a looming electoral dispute had already surfaced during the vote, when Diallo told reporters that Conde could “cheat” his way to power.
Twelve candidates are vying for the presidency, but Conde and Diallo are the frontrunners.
‘Chaos’
Ousmane Gaoual Diallo, a member of Diallo’s UFDG party, said that results from individual polling states were public, enabling the party’s own observers to conduct a count.
“If we are the winners, we will defend our victory,” he said. “We won’t wait.”
But the government said in a statement Monday that the opposition “clearly intended to create chaos and to call into question the real results”.
Much of Guinea’s current tension stems from President Conde’s controversial bid for a third term.
He pushed through a new constitution in March which he argued would modernise the country. But it also allowed him to bypass a two-term limit for presidents, provoking mass protests.
After decades as an opposition activist, Conde became Guinea’s first democratically elected president in 2010 and won again in 2015, but rights groups now accuse him of veering towards authoritarianism.
Diallo was formerly a prime minister under authoritarian leader Lansana Conte.
He unsuccessfully challenged Conde in both 2010 and 2015, in elections his party activists are convinced were rigged.
Before vote counting began on Sunday, Diallo’s activists said their observers had been obstructed at polling stations and alleged ballot-box stuffing.
Prime Minister Kassory Fofana said that the opposition publishing results ahead of the official results was tantamount to pouring “oil on the fire”.
Mansare, from the electoral authority, said Guinea should publish provisional results within a week.
Second round
Guinea’s acrimonious political campaign saw Conde and Diallo trade insults, and was marked by violent incidents in some parts of country.
But it also raised the spectre of ethnic strife, with Conde accused of exploiting divisions for electoral ends — a charge he denies.
Guinea’s politics are mainly drawn along ethnic lines: the president’s base is mostly from the ethnic Malinke community and Diallo’s from the Fulani people.
A second round of voting, if needed, is scheduled for November 24.
The human rights organisation Amnesty International says at least 50 people have been killed, mostly shot dead, in Guinea during protests in the last year.
On Tuesday Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari had called on West African leaders to stick to their constitutional term limits – which he termed as a source of crisis and political tension in the region.
The musician has called on his supporters to help him raise the required fee set for registration of candidates by the electoral commission.
Mr Kamano told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme that Guinea was a rich country but its progress had been undermined by corruption.
“If I become the president I can do something for my people …The people have realised that time has come for us to change things in the country,” he said.
The vote was boycotted by the opposition and sparked mass protests.
In early August Guinea’s ruling party nominated the 82-year-old president to represent it in the elections in October, but at the time he made no formal response.
His efforts to stay in power have raised concerns Guinea will go the way of some other African countries whose rulers have refused to step down after their mandates expired.
Guinea’s governing party nominated President Alpha Conde to stand for a third term, taking advantage of a new constitution to circumvent a two-term limit on presidential mandates.
Conde, 82, stopped short of formally accepting the nomination in a speech on Thursday. Talk of his running again has sparked widespread protests that have killed at least 30 people over the past year.
“Today you have all spoken, allies, parties and others – I take note,” Conde told party members.
He did not say when he would formally respond to the nomination.
Conde, a longtime opposition leader, came to power in a 2010 vote that raised hopes for democratic progress in Guinea after decades of authoritarian rule. He was re-elected in 2015.
But his efforts to stay in power have raised concerns that Guinea will go the way of other African countries whose rulers have refused to step down long after their mandates expired.
Conde’s supporters say the constitutional change, approved in a referendum in March that was boycotted by the opposition, acts as a reset button on the two-term limit.
Guinea is Africa’s largest producer of the main aluminium ore, bauxite. It also has significant reserves of iron ore, including the giant Simandou reserve, the largest known deposit of its kind with more than two billion tonnes of high-grade ore.
Guinea PM, pitches for Conde at the Party Electoral Convention, a move which has stirred violent protests in the West African nation.
“This is the starting point today for a new, bright and promising future for Guinea and Guineans. We are proud to be the vectors of this new hope for our country and our people,” stressed Prime Minister Kassory Fofana.
Conde is near the end of his second fi ve-year term in office, the maximum under the old constitution, which has just been revised and approved by a referendum.
Critics say the changes are a ploy to enable the 82-year-old to reset his time in power.
Under the new constitution, presidential terms are also limited to two but extended from five years to six, which could theoretically enable Conde to govern for another 12 years.
The president of Guinea, Alpha Conde, is making the wearing of face masks compulsory in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.
In a televised address, he said the order would take effect from Saturday.
People who fail to wear masks will be fined around $3 (£2.40).
Mr Conde called on businesses, government departments and others to provide their employees with masks, which he said should be made locally and cost no more than 25 cents.
He described the pace of the spread of coronavirus as worrying.
There have been more than 300 confirmed cases in Guinea.
The Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Sa-eed has disclosed that, Ghana’s attempt to repatriate the ten(10) foreigners who were apprehended, quarantined and later tested positive for the COVID 19 in Tamale has proved futile.
According to him, Ghana’s engagement with the Guinean authorities was unsuccessful as they registered their unwillingness to accept their citizens who have tested positive for the Coronavirus disease.
Our headache is that the Guinean authorities are saying they will not agree for us to return them,’ the minister said.
He however disclosed that, the Ghana Government is in talks with Burkina Faso authorities to return these persons considering that is their original place of residence before they moved into Ghana.
According to the Northern Regional Minister, Burkina Faso authorities are threatening to return Ghanaian nationals who are said to be sick and receiving treatment should Ghana decide to return the 10 people who illegally got into the country and tested positive for the COVID 19.
The northern regional minister has therefore urged the people of Tamale to remain calm amidst assurances that, they are working towards ensuring that those people are returned to their respective countries.
