Conakry, the Guinean capital, is witnessing violent protests against adopting a new constitution allowing the president Alpha Condé to continue for a third term. The opposition coalition reports that 14 people were killed so far by security forces in its bid to crush the dissent. Despite the violence, opposition leaders, Cellou Dalein Diallo and Sidya Touré continue to lead the protests. Condé’s second term will come to an end in 2021. Though he has not made any public statement about his intention to run for another term, he is backing a new constitution that would allow him to do so. Guinea’s investment minister Gabriel Curtis justified the effort to introduce a new constitution saying that it was necessary for democratic progress as the existing constitution was not voted on by the public. The new constitution he said will reflect people of Guinea’s aspirations.
The main opposition candidate Diallo who ran and lost two presidential elections to Alpha Condé in 2010 and 2015, warned that If the constitution is adopted against the will of the Guinean people, it will lead to confrontation that will threaten peace and stability in Guinea. Meanwhile, the violence has also led to ethnic clashes, as politicians have tried to pit Fulani–Diallo’s ethnic group–against Malinké
While US has expressed clear resentment about the developments in Guinea, the Russian position is in contrast to the Us stand. Former Russian ambassador to Guinea Alexander Bregadze, came out on state TV in January strongly supporting the constitutional change. Responding to the outcry against his remarks, he was replaced two months later by Russian authorities. But in Apri,l he was posted as head of the Guinean branch of Russian aluminum firm Rusal, a powerful position in the bauxite-rich country.
