Guinea’s soldiers who took power over the weekend have consolidated their takeover by installing army officers at the top of the country’s eight regions and other administrative districts.
The Economic of West Africa States (ECOWAS) have threatened sanctions following the overthrow of Alpha Conde, who had altered the constitution to permit a third term, which his opponents have said is illegal. The bloc leaders will meet to discuss the situation on Wednesday
Mamady Doumbouya, leader of the coup, has promised “new leadership and economic development” as well as a transitional government of national unity. But he has yet to share specifics about how this process will work, or when it will begin.
This is the third uprising since April in West and Central Africa, raising fears of a return to military rule in a region that had progressed towards multi-party democracy since the 1990s.
The second day after the putsch in Conakry has been calm, with some military checkpoints removed. The traffic in the capital’s administrative centre, the Kaloum peninsula, was normal on Tuesday.
In Kankan, the region that has been Conde’s electoral stronghold, junta-appointed General Aboubacar Diakite took over from civilian governor, Sadou Keita.
In Labe, a region in the north, soldiers took down a photograph of Conde from the walls of Governor Elhadj Madifing Diane’s office as he handed over to a lieutenant-colonel, Media Guinea reported.