Guinea: Historic Change and Hope for Peace

“Guinea is sitting on a volcano. The volcano might erupt at anytime – leading to a struggle for power.” In early 2008, this is how many people in Guinea described their country.

At the time, BEFORE’s analysts agreed that Guinea was facing a leadership crisis. BEFORE quickly sent in an assessment team, lead by retired United States Ambassador Dane Smith and including four other sector-specific experts. There the team interviewed a number of local senior government officials, elders, and representatives of local and international non-governmental organizations. Read Ambassador Smith’s first hand account of the trip here.

Based on local input, the Guinea Assessment Team identified these key obstacles to peace:

• Economic hardship
• Absence of rule of law
• Ethnic cleavages
• Defense & Security Forces Challenges

During the tumultuous year of 2009 these potential obstacles to peace became a reality when 24-year President Lansana Conté died. Within hours a military group called the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) came to power and suspended the country’s constitution.

Over the next 18 months, Guineans wavered between hope and further political alienation as the CNDD pledged to rid the country of corruption and hold free and fair elections but then delayed movements toward those very pledges. Public dissatisfaction led to a number of protests, culminating in a call by the opposition – Les Vives Forces – for a major demonstration in Conakry on September 28, 2009. Tens of thousands of people gathered at the main stadium to demonstrate against continued military rule and CNDD participation in presidential elections. More than 150 people paid dearly for that show of dissent with their lives – some were gunned down in a hail of bullets, other skewered by bayonets as they tried to flee – when Guinean Security Forces attacked the public. At least 100 women and girls were subjected to beatings and individual and gang rape by the Guinean Security Forces in broad daylight.

The international community acted swiftly and ECOWAS designated Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaoré to mediate between the CNDD and the Guinea opposition. After months of international diplomacy, the work of civil society groups and an assassination attempt on the CNDD’s leader, an agreement was signed in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in January 2010, which paved the way for a national unity government, presidential elections and a return to constitutional law.

BEFORE and it’s partners prepared for the elections through a multifaceted approach that targeted reconciliation among military and civilian women, the training of local citizens to be elections mediators, the revival of traditional local conflict resolution bodies, and the examination of key governance bodies: the Defense & Security Forces, the Supreme Court, and the National Assembly.

The presidential elections were held on June 27, 2010. Guineans had voted before, but never in a freely and fairly. Guinea took a historic stride forward in their quest for peace and stability. The elections were declared fair and transparent by international elections observers and Guineans rejoiced at the chance to at long last build lasting change.

Two long-time political leaders, former Prime Minister under the late President Lansana Conté Mr. Cellou Dalein Diallo and veteran opposition leader Mr. Alfa Condé received the most amount of votes. A run-off election between Diallo and Condé is set for July 18th, but it may be delayed until later in July or early August due to logistical challenges.

Capacities for Peace

BEFORE understands that external actors do not achieve peace without the will of local leaders and people. Guinea itself has helped to curb political violence:

• The country has not seen a civil war – unlike its neighbors – which is a source of national pride.
• Guineans are proud of their history as the first African country to gain independence from France.
• High local consciousness of ethnic differences actually deters generalized ethnic warfare.
• There are several governmental institutions and civil society organizations that have thus far been able to help the country avoid political violence.
• Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the people of Guinea want a peaceful and flourishing country.

In May 2009, BEFORE conducted an in-depth analysis on the challenges of transition facing the new government with local experts and begin implementing a violence prevention program in Guinea. This workshop paved the way for BEFORE’s work in Guinea.

To learn more about BEFORE’s work in Guinea, view our Guinea time line or read the BEFORE’s stories and news alerts.

Background

Located in the unstable region of Mano River Union, this small West African country with an approximate population of 10 million people has to-date avoided the civil wars that ravaged many of its neighboring countries, such as Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Guinea was the first country to free itself from the French colonialism in the late 1950’s. Since then various ethnic groups have struggled for power. The largest group, the Fulani, has been subject to discriminatory policies, while two other large groups, the Susu and the Malinke, had political representation in the country’s two former presidents.

History at-a-Glance

• 1958 – Union leader, secretary-general of the Democratic Party of Guinea, and the great-grand son of resistance leader Samory Touré, Ahmed Sekou Touré becomes the first president of Guinea.
• 1958 -1984 – Guinea is a closed socialist state, with periods of support from the United States. While some Guineans regard President Touré as a hero, thousands of people suffer from his repression for 26 years.
• 1984 – When President Touré dies Colonel Lansana Conté takes power in a peaceful coup. The political power sifts from the Malinke group to the Susu Group. Conté becomes President and Minister of Defence.
• 1993 – 2006 – The regime’s promises and constitutional changes leads to liberalization and to the first multi-party elections. Conté wins all elections. Autocratic characteristics begin to appear in his regime as President Conté’s Party for Unity and Progress (PUP) controls most government posts and the military and civil bureaucracy through substantial patronage networks. There are several attempts to overthrow President Conté.
• 2007 – The legislative elections schedules are made but then postponed on several occasions to give local administrations time to rebuild after hostile and deadly demonstrations in January and February of 2007.
• December 2008 – President Conté dies after years of failing health. A military group called the National Committee for Democracy and Development (CNDD) quickly assumes power of the government, despite constitutional mandates for the National Assembly to take power and schedule elections, but promises wide-spread government reform, the eradication of corruption and presidential elections without seeking positions of power themselves. The last Guinean elections were in 2002 and the people of Guinea continue to grow frustrated, but hope for the best for their future.
• September 2009- After months of promises to hold presidential elections and postponed elections, CNDD leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara says presidential elections will be held on 31 January 2010 and elections for parliament in March, but hedges around running for office, despite a previous promise that he would not seek the presidential office. Opposition leaders and thousands of civilians rally at a stadium in Conakry on the 28th, calling for democracy and peace in Guinea. Soldiers systematically seal off the exits, open fire on crowd and beat and rape women in broad daylight. Guinean and international human rights organizations say 157 are killed in the violence and over 1200 injured. The military government puts the death toll at 57, and bans all “subversive” gatherings.
• December 2010 – Captain Camara is shot in the head by a former aide. Captain Camara must leave the country for treatment in Morocco, and then agrees to stay abroad and leave his deputy General Sekouba Konate in charge.
• January 2010 – Captain Camara and General Sekouba Konate sign a peace agreement with ECOWAS-appointed mediator Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore. The Ouagadougou Agreement, as it is called, stipulates a new unity government be formed immediately and the arrangement of presidential elections in six months.
• May 2010 – Campaigning kicks off for the 27 June presidential election. The CNDD and military promise to respect the elections results and not run for office.
• June 2010 – For the first time in Guinea’s history, its presidential elections are declared free, fair and orderly. In the midst of fraud accusations, international observation missions note that voting inconsistencies were due to technical challenges rather than intentional elections tampering. None of the 24 candidates wins a 50% majority of the vote. A run-off election between the candidates with the highest percentage of votes, ex-Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo and veteran opposition figure Alpha Conde, is set for August 1st.