Guinea stated on Saturday that the president of its national electricity provider, Laye Sekou Camara had been fired following recurrent power outages that provoked fatal protests in the military-ruled country.
Camara of Electricity in Guinea (EDG) was fired, along with his two deputies, Fode Soumah and Abdoulaye Kone, in a decision issued by junta leader General Mamady Doumbouya.
A separate decision removed the managing director and deputy of Guinea’s national oil corporation.
“Those responsible for this situation (related to the power outages) owe us an explanation, and everyone must accept responsibility,” Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah told the press on Friday.
The decision comes after two children, ages eight and fourteen, were shot dead during violent protests in Kindia, 130 kilometres (80 miles) east of Conakry, on Tuesday.
Clashes erupted between protestors and police forces in Conakry on Thursday after a power outage left parts of the capital in darkness.
EDG stated in a statement that the blackout was caused by “an incident on a high-voltage pylon”.
Guinea, which is poor despite having significant mineral and natural resources, has been under autocratic leadership for decades and is plagued by fuel shortages and power outages.