Lansana Conte: Political Turmoil After Death Of Guinea's Leader (VIDEO)

Lansana Conte: Political Turmoil After Death Of Guinea's Leader (VIDEO)

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Update: 12/24 3 pm:

The leader of the military group that claims to have staged a coup in Guinea paraded through the streets of the capital Wednesday, reports the AP.

An Associated Press reporter saw Capt. Moussa Camara standing in the first truck of the convoy waving to the crowd that lined the streets in the West African country's capital. A phalanx of soldiers hoisting Kalashnikovs accompanied him.

The convoy was winding its way to the nation's presidential compound where Camara was expected to read a declaration, officially naming himself head of the country's interim government.

Camara was unknown to most Guineans until Tuesday, when he and other members of the military announced a coup following the death of the country's longtime dictator Lansana Conte.

Update: 12/24 11 am:

After the death of Guinea's authoritarian ruler on Tuesday, there has been confusion over how successful an attempted military coup has been and who now controls the west African country, according to various reports.

Reuters reports that the military group that has claimed to stage a coup says it has chosen its new leader, Moussa Dadis Camara, and will install him as president of Guinea.

"We're accompanying the president of the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) into town," one of the officers told Reuters.

A Huffington Post commenter says his or her parents are from Guinea and left this message on the passing of the president:

This is my parent"s home country Guinea. They immigrated to the US from there. The economy in that country is worthless. I send 100 dollars every week to support my relatives living over there. No jobs, no money, nothing. Guinea resources are by far one of the richest in West Africa. They have half of the world aluminum; also they have gold, cooper and other resources. This president however kept the profits from these resources into his bank account as Guinea continues crumbling. Its good news of his passing maybe now a new democratic government can be created for this nation. After 50 years of dictatorship from Sekou Tourre to Lasana Conte, its time for a Democratic nation. Let us all pray.

The AP reports that the military group says there will not be elections in the country for two years.

CONAKRY, Guinea -- A military-led group sent tanks through Guinea's capital on Wednesday and said it would hold power for two years after initially promising presidential elections within 60 days.

The National Council for Democracy and Development announced Tuesday that it had seized control of the West African country after the death of its longtime dictator.

The prime minister who served under strongman Lansana Conte maintained Wednesday that he remained in power. But soldiers loyal to the coup plotters circulated through Conakry in tanks and jeeps armed with rocket launchers. The troops carried machine guns and wore military uniforms and red berets.

"The National Council for Democracy and Development has no ambition of staying in power," Capt. Moussa Camara, the group's spokesman, said on state radio. "We are here to promote the organization of credible and transparent presidential elections by the end of December 2010."

A day earlier, in his first address to the nation, Camara had said that elections would be organized within 60 days.

The BBC reports that the military leaders are warning against interference from outside forces.

Junior officers leading the coup effort said intervention by outside forces, who they say are already in Guinea, would lead to consequences.

Update 12/23 2pm:

The AP states that tanks and troops were seen in the capital on Tuesday, yet it is not known to whom the troops owe their loyalty.

An Associated Press reporter saw dozens of armed soldiers heading toward the prime minister's office inside the country's presidential compound. The troops' allegiance was not immediately apparent.

But they appeared less than an hour after Prime Minister Ahmed Tidiane Souare announced in a state broadcast that he was inside his office and that his government had not been dissolved.

Two tanks were parked near the compound and a third was circulating through the capital. A fourth was parked at the headquarters of state-run radio and TV, where transmissions had been cut.

U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, has released this statement:

I join the African Union, the European Union and the Bush Administration in condemning the attempted coup by military officials in Guinea in the wake of President Lansana Conté's death. I urge the military and all parties in Guinea to respect the constitution and pave the way for elections. Over recent years, Guineans has suffered from increasing civil unrest, skyrocketing food prices, and new levels of brutality by security forces. If the current events in Guinea lead to greater instability and violence, this could have devastating humanitarian consequences and could undermine the fragile peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone. I call on regional leaders working with the African Union and international community to take steps to prevent conflict and ensure a peaceful transition of power in Guinea.

Earlier on 12/23:

Hours after Guinea's authoritarian ruler died, a little-known group claimed to have staged a military coup in the country, according to the Guardian. Yet the AP reports that the Prime Minister has denied the coup.

The Guardian states that Lansana Conte, who had ruled the West African country for 24 years, died of an undisclosed illness.

But less than six hours later soldiers entered the headquarters of the state TV and radio services and forced journalists to broadcast a statement announcing a coup.

"The constitution is dissolved," said an officer identified as Captain Moussa Camara. "The government is dissolved. The institutions of the republic are dissolved."From now on, the statement added, Guinea would be ruled by a so-called National Council for Democracy to tackle widespread corruption and a "catastrophic economic situation". The ousted government was "in large part responsible for this unprecedented economic and social crisis", added Camara, who did not say whether he was the coup leader or just a spokesman. He said presidential elections would be organised shortly, without elaborating, and ordered citizens to stay at home.

The AP reports that the prime minister denied that a coup had taken place.

Guinea's prime minister contradicted reports of a military coup Tuesday, saying that his government had not been dissolved following the death of the country's longtime dictator.

Prime Minister Ahmed Tidiane Souare said in a state broadcast that he was speaking from his office and that his government "continues to function as it should."

The New York Times reports that the alleged coup highlights concerns about the state of democracy in Africa.

The latest military action underscored concern about the future of multi-party rule in Africa only years after the continent seemed to be enjoying a steady blossoming of democracy. In the past few years, there have been allegations of rigged ballots in Nigeria and violence after disputed elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe.

According to this BBC Country Profile of Guinea, the nation suffers from the resource curse.

Although Guinea's mineral wealth makes it potentially one of Africa's richest countries, its people are among the poorest in West Africa.

Ruled by strong-arm leaders since independence, Guinea has been seen as a bulwark against instability in neighbouring Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast. However it has also been implicated in the conflicts that have ravaged the region.

Watch this video from Al Jazeera:

The AP has compiled a list of long-serving sub-Saharan African leaders:

_ANGOLA: Jose Eduardo dos Santos took power of oil-producing southern African nation of 12 million on Sept. 21, 1979, after winning election under one-party system.

_BURKINO FASO: Blaise Compaore and Thomas Sankara led a 1983 coup. Compaore came to power after Sankara was assassinated in 1987.

_CAMEROON: Paul Biya took over when Ahmadou Ahidjo, president since 1961, resigned in 1982.

_REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Denis Sassou-Nguesso ruled from 1979 until a 1992 election defeat, seized power again in 1997 with help from Angolan troops.

_EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Teodoro Obiang seized power of oil-rich nation in 1979 coup. Government considered among continent's worst human rights violators.

_GABON: Omar Bongo ascended to presidency Dec. 2, 1967, after his predecessor's death. Bongo faces little political opposition in oil-rich West African nation of 1.5 million, ruling through a mixture of patronage and quiet intimidation.

_SUDAN: Omar al-Bashir has led country since a 1989 Islamist military coup.

_SWAZILAND: Africa's last absolute monarchy led by Mswati III since 1986. Country faces a growing pro-democracy movement.

_UGANDA: Yoweri Museveni led an insurgency to take power in 1986, has been accused in recent years been accused of quashing dissent and reversing presidential term limits.

_ZIMBABWE: Robert Mugabe has been country's only leader since 1980 independence from Britain. He is accused of bringing a once-prosperous nation to ruin, and is under domestic and international pressure to step down.

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