Military officials in Guinea have claimed to have toppled the government and arrested President Alpha Conde. An officer of the Guinean military made the announcement in a broadcast on Sunday, stating that they have also dissolved the country's Constitution.
Guinean army officer Mamady Doumbouya said the country's politics can no longer be entrusted to one man and it should be entrusted to the people. He said it was every soldier's duty to save the country.
An adviser to the president had confirmed that he had been arrested and that a coup had taken place. The whereabouts of the 83-year-old president are still not known. Conde became the president last year after winning a heavily disputed election.
Doumbouya said in the broadcast that the military has suspended the country's constitution and all government agencies. He said Guinea will be closing down all of its borders and a strict nationwide curfew will be put in place. Doumbouya assured the public that the president is safe and unharmed.
"We want to reassure the national and international community, the physical and moral integrity of former President (Alpha Conde) is not threatened. We took all the necessary measures for him to have access to medical care and to be in touch with his physicians," military officials said.
Successful coup in Guinea.
President arrested (1/2), government dissolved, constitution suspended.
Here’s the new military leader (2/2).
(pic: @ncambirwa) pic.twitter.com/5kAUWba9LK — ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) September 5, 2021
Guinea military officials invited all former heads of ministries to attend an emergency meeting Monday. Officials said those who fail to attend the meeting will be considered rebels.
According to social media posts and a report from CNN, gunfire had erupted in the nation's capital of Conakry on Sunday. Witnesses said a group of heavily armed soldiers had stormed the city's Kaloum area, where most of the government buildings were located.
One video posted on social media showed Conde being surrounded by Guinean soldiers. Another video showed people cheering as military vehicles moved through the capital.
The African Union has condemned the coup, describing it as a "power grab." The union has asked military officials for the immediate release of Conde. The United Nations also called for Conde's release.
The U.S. State Department said the coup may make it hard for it and other international partners to support the country. The department said violence and the "extra-constitutional measures" taken by the military will erode the nation's prospects for peace and stability.
