On 23 December 2008, a
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup
, is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
occurred in
Guinea
Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...
, shortly after the
death
Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
of long-time president
Lansana Conté
Lansana Conté (; 30 November 1934 – 22 December 2008 . A
junta called the
National Council for Democracy and Development
The National Council for Democracy and Development (, CNDD) was the ruling Military junta, junta of Guinea from 2008 to 2010.
Historical background
The CNDD seized power in the 2008 Guinean coup d'état on 23 December 2008. This followed the dea ...
(, CNDD), headed by Captain
Moussa Dadis Camara
Captain Moussa Dadis Camara (; ; born 1 January 1964), now called Moïse Dadis Camara (),''Le Populaire'', , N°3232, 31 August 2010, p. 2 is an ex-officer of the Guinean Army who served as the third president of Guinea from 23 December 2008 t ...
, seized power and announced that it planned to rule the country for two years prior to a new presidential election. Camara did indeed step down after
Alpha Condé
Alpha Condé (N'Ko: ; born 4 March 1938) is a Guinean politician who served as the fourth president of Guinea from 2010 to 2021. He spent decades in opposition to a succession of regimes in Guinea, unsuccessfully running against then-President L ...
was elected in the
2010 election.
Death of Conté
In the early hours of 23 December 2008,
Aboubacar Somparé
El Hajj Aboubacar Somparé (; 31 August 1944 – 2 November 2017)[President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...]
of the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
, announced on television that Conté had died at 6:45 pm local time the previous day "after a long illness."
[ While Somparé did not name the particular illness,] sources reported that Conté had chronic diabetes
Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...
and leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...
. According to the Constitution, the president of the National Assembly is to assume the presidency in the event of a vacancy, and a new presidential election is to be held within 60 days. Somparé requested that the president of the Supreme Court, Lamine Sidimé, declare a vacancy in the Presidency and apply the Constitution.[ ]Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
and General Diarra Camara, the head of the army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
, stood alongside Somparé during his announcement.[ Declaring 40 days of national mourning for Conté,] Souaré urged "calm and restraint". He told the army to secure the borders and maintain calm within the country "in homage to the memory of the illustrious late leader".[
Government officials met at the People's Palace, seat of the National Assembly, in the early hours of 23 December. Prime Minister Souaré, Somparé, the president of the Supreme Court, and military leaders were present.][
Speaking to ]Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale, usually referred to as RFI, is the State media, state-owned international radio news network of France. With 59.5 million listeners in 2022, it is one of the most-listened-to international radio stations in the world ...
after Conté's death, opposition leader Jean-Marie Doré
Jean-Marie Doré (12 June 1938 – 29 January 2016) was a Guinean politician who was the prime minister of Guinea from January 2010 until December 2010. Doré, who was the president of the Union for the Progress of Guinea (UPG), was an oppositio ...
of the Union for the Progress of Guinea
The Union for the Progress of Guinea () is an opposition political party in Guinea. In the parliamentary election
A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct f ...
stressed that the institutions of state must "be able to work to prevent unnecessary disorder in Guinea which would add to the current difficult situation".[
]
Announcement of coup d'état
Six hours after Somparé announced Conté's death, a statement was read on state radio announcing a military coup d'état
A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup
, is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
.[ This statement, read by Captain ]Moussa Dadis Camara
Captain Moussa Dadis Camara (; ; born 1 January 1964), now called Moïse Dadis Camara (),''Le Populaire'', , N°3232, 31 August 2010, p. 2 is an ex-officer of the Guinean Army who served as the third president of Guinea from 23 December 2008 t ...
on behalf of a group called the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD),[ said that "the government and the institutions of the Republic have been dissolved." The statement also announced the suspension of the constitution "as well as political and union activity."][ According to Captain Camara, the coup was necessary due to Guinea's "deep despair" amidst rampant poverty and corruption, and he said that the existing institutions were "incapable of resolving the crises which have been confronting the country." Furthermore, Camara said that someone from the military would become president, while a civilian would be appointed as prime minister at the head of a new government that would be ethnically balanced.][ The National Council for Democracy and Development would, according to Camara, include 26 officers as well as six civilians.]["Coup attempt in Guinea after president dies"](_blank)
AFP, 23 December 2008.
Reporting from Conakry
Conakry ( , ; ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guinea. A port city, it serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea. Its population as of the 2014 Guinea census was 1,660,973.
The current population of C ...
at the time of the coup announcement, Alhassan Sillah of the BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
said that the situation in the city was "unusually quiet" and that he had not seen any soldiers.[ Later in the day, several tanks were seen in the city.]["Coup declared in Guinea after dictator's death"](_blank)
Associated Press (''International Herald Tribune''), 24 December 2008.
Following Camara's announcement, Souaré said the government and state institutions were intact. According to Souaré, he did not know who was behind the coup attempt, but he said that he was "sure that they will see reason. They have not used force. There has been no threat against anybody." Somparé, meanwhile, called the coup attempt "a setback for our country" and expressed hope that it would not succeed. He argued that most soldiers were still loyal to the government.
It was reported that soldiers at the Alfa Yaya Diallo military camp had chosen a lieutenant-colonel, Sékouba Konaté
General Sékouba Konaté (; born 6 June 1964) is an officer of the Guinean Army who formerly served as the vice president of its military junta, the National Council for Democracy and Development. After attending military academy, he received t ...
, as leader of the coup attempt, although some soldiers objected because they believed a higher-ranking officer should have been chosen.[ The chief of the armed forces, General Diarra Camara, said that the coup plotters represented only a minority of the army. In the afternoon of 23 December, amidst confusion about who was in control of the country, Gen. Camara asked that the soldiers "at least wait until after onté'sfuneral", while also stating that he was not trying to prevent anyone's ambitions.][
On 23 December, both the office of the Prime Minister and the Little Palace, Conté's former residence, were reported to be under the control of the coup leaders. According to Somparé, the leaders of the coup held a meeting to choose an interim leader for the country late on 23 December; he said that Moussa Camara, Sékouba Konaté, and Toto Camara were considered candidates for the position.][ The composition of the CNDD was announced late on 23 December;]["Economie et Politique : Liste des membres du CNDD"](_blank)
, Guineenews, 23 December 2008 . it included 32 members, 26 of whom were officers and six of whom were civilians.[
In an interview with Guineenews on 23 December, opposition leader ]Cellou Dalein Diallo
Cellou Dalein Diallo (born 3 February 1952, Xinhua, 14 December 2004 .) is a Guinean economist and politician who was Prime Minister of Guinea from 2004 to 2006. Previously he held a succession of ministerial posts in the government from 1996 t ...
said that he believed the constitution should be respected, while also saying that he believed a new presidential election should be held together with the already planned parliamentary election
A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General elections ...
on 31 May 2009.
Consolidation of CNDD authority
A statement was read over the radio on 24 December announcing that Captain Moussa Dadis Camara was the president of the CNDD. Later in the day, Camara and thousands of soldiers loyal to him paraded through the city, surrounded by large numbers of civilian supporters. According to Camara, he "came to see if the terrain is favorable to us", declaring that the large crowds indicated that the people were indeed supportive of the coup. Also on 24 December, Camara said in a radio broadcast that the CNDD did not want to stay in power indefinitely and that it intended to lead the country for two years, promising "credible and transparent presidential elections by the end of December 2010". This contradicted an earlier statement promising an election within the constitutionally mandated period of 60 days.["Guinea coup leader parades through capital"](_blank)
Associated Press (''International Herald Tribune''), 25 December 2008.
The CNDD declared an 8 pm to 6:30 am nationwide curfew,[ although it said that the curfew would not be implemented until 26 December to avoid interfering with the Christian celebration of Christmas. The extent of the CNDD's control remained unclear on 24 December; although Prime Minister Souaré had gone into hiding, he insisted that the government had not been toppled. Souaré described Camara as "an unknown captain hodoesn't control the army" and argued again that most troops were loyal, while attributing the "disorder" to "one little group".][
Shortly after the CNDD ordered all members of the government and army officers to go to the Alpha Yaya Diallo military camp within 24 hours, with the threat of "a sweep of the entire national territory" if they did not. Prime Minister Souaré went to the camp and turned himself in on 25 December, together with all the members of his government except for two ministers who were, according to Souaré, on official missions abroad.]["Economie et Politique : Après une petite résistance,l'ancien gouvernement fait allégeance : "Nous sommes à votre disposition",dixit Souaré"](_blank)
, Guineenews, 25 December 2008 . Camara met with Souaré and stressed that the CNDD was now in power, but he said that Souaré and his government could "go back to business".["'It's our turn for power': Guinea coup leader tightens grip"](_blank)
AFP, 25 December 2008. During the meeting, Souaré lamented the death of Conté["Guinea's military junta receives endorsement of outgoing PM, cabinet"](_blank)
APA, 25 December 2008. and expressed his government's willingness to serve under the CNDD,[ pointing out that his government was composed of ]technocrats
Technocracy is a form of government in which decision-makers appoint knowledge experts in specific domains to provide them with advice and guidance in various areas of their policy-making responsibilities. Technocracy follows largely in the tra ...
, not politicians.[ He also addressed Camara as "President".][
Speaking on the radio on 25 December, Camara said that he did not plan to run for President at the end of the two year transitional period. He also declared that the CNDD was not susceptible to bribes. According to Camara, people had "start dto show up with bags of money to try to corrupt us. They've tried to give money to our wives and cars to our children." He warned that he would "personally go after anyone who tries to corrupt us". Camara also said that Conté's funeral on 26 December (several days late) would be "grandiose", and he expressed disapproval in describing the lack of proper care for Conté's body.
Conté's funeral was held on 26 December, with over 20,000 in attendance at the national stadium in Conakry. Leaders of neighboring countries were present for the funeral, although Camara was not. General Mamadouba Toto Camara of the CNDD said at the funeral that "we pray God to give us the courage to continue onté'swork of tolerance and peace for the welfare of Guinea". He was then taken to his hometown of ]Moussayah
Moussaya is a town and sub-prefecture in the Forécariah Prefecture in the Kindia Region of western Guinea.
Namesake
There are a number of other towns in Guinea with this name.
Transport
The town in on the route of a proposed 500 km l ...
for burial.["Guinea coup leader says unions can help choose PM"](_blank)
Associated Press (''International Herald Tribune''), 27 December 2008.
Camara held a large "informational meeting" at the Alfa Yaya Diallo military base on 27 December; about 1,000 people representing various groups were present, including Somparé, the key opposition leaders Alpha Condé
Alpha Condé (N'Ko: ; born 4 March 1938) is a Guinean politician who served as the fourth president of Guinea from 2010 to 2021. He spent decades in opposition to a succession of regimes in Guinea, unsuccessfully running against then-President L ...
and Sidya Touré, and the trade union leader Rabiatou Serah Diallo. At the meeting, Camara discussed his plans to renegotiate mining contracts and fight corruption. He said that all gold mining had already been halted for the time being. Camara also told the opposition and union leaders that they could propose a prime minister.[ Condé said on that occasion that the members of the CNDD junta were "patriots",][Saliou Samb]
"Guinea coup leader gets Senegal's backing"
Reuters, 27 December 2008. and his party, the Rally of the Guinean People
The Rally of the Guinean People (, sometimes translated as ''Guinean People's Assembly''; RPG) is a political party in Guinea. The RPG was the ruling party in the country from 2010 to 2021 and was recently led by Alpha Condé. It is mainly base ...
(RPG), subsequently expressed its willingness to participate in a government under the CNDD.["African Union suspends Guinea, junta purges generals"](_blank)
Reuters, 29 December 2008. Sidya Touré gave a positive assessment of the situation and said that "we will discuss the program and timetable for the transition and we will ensure that the military keep their promises."
Although the CNDD's curfew was enforced on 26 December, the junta decided to lift the curfew beginning on 27 December in order to encourage "a climate of peace".[ At around the same time, AFP reported the retirement of 22 senior military officers who had reached retirement age. The retired officers included General Diarra Camara, the army's chief of staff, who opposed the coup. Two officers were appointed to key positions on 28 December: Captain Kelety Faro as Minister Secretary-General at the Presidency and General Mamadouba Toto Camara as Minister of Security and Civil Protection. Also, Sékouba Konaté was appointed as Minister of Defense.][
On 29 December, soldiers forcefully entered the compound of ]Mamadou Sylla Mamadou Sylla may refer to:
* Mamadou Sylla (politician) Mamadou Sylla (born 25 January 1960) is a Guinean politician and business leader.
Born in Boké, in 1986 Sylla was one of several people given large amounts of rice by the Government to reta ...
—a wealthy businessman who had been an ally and close personal friend of Lansana Conté—and told Sylla to relinquish the keys to six SUV
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definition ...
vehicles that they said were owned by the state. Sylla did so, but he complained that force was not necessary and said that the vehicles had been part of a contract between his company and the military.[Rukmini Callimachi]
"Coup leaders seize cars from regime loyalist"
Associated Press, 29 December 2008.
The CNDD appointed Kabine Komara, a banker working in Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
at the African Export-Import Bank
African or Africans may refer to:
* Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa:
** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa
*** List ...
, as prime minister on 30 December 2008. In a television speech on 1 January 2009, Camara said that the coup had prevented Guinea from "tumbling into ethnic warfare". According to Camara, Somparé was not a legitimate constitutional successor because his mandate as President of the National Assembly had legally expired, and he said that if Somparé had taken office, there would have been "incalculable consequences".
About 20 soldiers searched the home of opposition leader and former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo on 1 January, while holding Diallo and his family at gunpoint. According to Diallo, the search was based on suspicions that Diallo had weapons and mercenaries and was planning another coup, but he said that the soldiers did not take anything from his home. A junta delegation met with Diallo on 2 January and condemned the search, saying that "uncontrollable elements out to hurt the junta" were to blame and that Camara and the CNDD had nothing to do with it.
On 5 January 2009, Camara stated that both legislative
A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...
and presidential elections
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The ...
would be held by the end of 2009, a year earlier than originally announced.
Camara, acting on the recommendation of Prime Minister Komara, appointed a new government on 14 January 2009. The government was composed of soldiers and technocrats and did not include any political parties. The government included 27 ministers and two secretaries of state.
Colonel Aboubacar Sidiki Camara was sworn in as Permanent Secretary to the CNDD on 26 January 2009.["Two junta members arrested in Guinea"](_blank)
AFP, 27 January 2009.
Contrary to the wishes of CNDD President Camara, he was unwilling to postpone his swearing-in,["Defiant Guinean junta officer freed: source"](_blank)
AFP, 28 January 2009. and he also requested the release of officers who were closely associated with Conté. He was promptly arrested later on 26 January; CNDD member Biro Condé was also reportedly arrested at that time. CNDD President Camara said on 27 January that Aboubacar Sidiki Camara had been dismissed from his post as Permanent Secretary due to negligence. He was released from detention on 28 January.[
]
International reactions
* The African Union
The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...
said it would hold an emergency meeting over the situation. Peace and Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra
Ramtane Lamamra (; born 15 June 1952) is an Algerian diplomat who has been serving as United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres' Personal Envoy for Sudan since 2023.
Lamamra previously served as the African Union's Commissioner for Pe ...
said, "If the army coup is confirmed, it is a flagrant violation of the constitution and of African legality which absolutely forbids unconstitutional changes of government". On 29 December 2008, the African Union suspended Guinea from the organization "until the return of constitutional order in that country", and it demanded that constitutional government be restored within six months.[
* issued a statement which read, in part, that it "strongly condemns the attempted coup in Guinea and calls on all parties to fully respect the Constitution and the rule of law for the benefit of the people of Guinea, who have already suffered for too long" and "...appeals for calm and restraint."
* The ]Economic Community of West African States
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as CEDEAO in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of twelve countries of West Africa. Collectively, the present and former members comprise an area ...
(ECOWAS) initially warned that Guinea could be suspended from the organization if the military took power.[ Later in December, ECOWAS said that it could not tolerate coups and it urged that the junta's planned transition be shorter than two years.][
* Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, noting Conté's contribution to peace and the unity of Guinea and the stability of West Africa, commended Guinea's aid to refugees from strife in the surrounding region. He appealed for calm, for an orderly transition under Guinea's Constitution, and exhorted the Guinean armed forces to respect democracy.
* The ]European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
condemned the coup and called on Guinea's military and government to ensure a peaceful leadership transition. The EU called on political and army leaders to "respect constitutional measures to ensure a peaceful transition" of power through elections.
* 's President Abdoulaye Wade
Abdoulaye Wade (, ; born 29 May 1926) is a Senegalese politician who served as the third president of Senegal from 2000 to 2012. He is also the Secretary-General of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), having led the party since it was founded ...
urged the international community to recognise the military junta headed by Moussa Dadis Camara. According to Wade, Camara had asked him to be his spokesman to the world, and Wade said that "I call on all countries, the European Union, and in particular France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, not to throw the first stone, but to take this group at their word" and that the "captain asked me to be his interpreter to Guineans, to the opposition, to ECOWAS, to the African Union, the European Union, the United States, the World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...
and international institutions". Wade also supported the promised elections and said that "This is the first time that the military has said, 'We'll organise elections and return to our barracks'".
* The United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
expressed hope for "a peaceful and democratic transition". A spokesperson said "We are working with our partners in the region and other countries in the region and the African Union to encourage the institutions in Guinea to take all steps to ensure a peaceful and democratic transition".
* On January 5, 2009, Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe warned that Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
would have no relations with the military regime and that any other African Union member who recognized the coup's leaders as the government would be neglecting the organization's commitment to democracy.
See also
* 2008 Guinean military unrest
* 2021 Guinean coup d'état
On 5 September 2021, President of Guinea Alpha Condé was captured by Republic of Guinea Armed Forces, the country's armed forces in a coup d'état after gunfire in the capital, Conakry. Special forces commander Mamady Doumbouya released a broa ...
* Komara government
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:2008 Guinean coup d'état
2000s coups d'état and coup attempts
2008 crimes in Guinea
2008 in Guinea
Conflicts in 2008
December 2008 in Africa
Military coups in Guinea