Guinean President Alpha Condé released from military captivity

Former Guinean President, Alpha Conde who was overthrown through a military coup has been released from captivity.

Since disposing of him, the military junta had been holding him. Colonel Mamady Doumbouya led the coup that toppled Condé on Sunday.

Condé was accused of being a dictator who had captured institutions. Meanwhile, the military junta promised a unity government in the coming weeks.

Soon after, Lieutenant-Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who heads the special forces, appeared in a press conference with the West African country’s flag on his shoulders and announced the dissolution of the government and other institutions and called for rewriting the constitution, Reuters reported.

According to news reports, a few hours before the military takeover on Sunday, heavy gunfire and explosions were heard near the presidential palace in the country’s capital, Conakry. President Condé, who has been in power for just over a decade, has now been incarcerated by the military.

In a video that went viral on social media, Conde was seen wearing jeans and a disheveled shirt. Military head Doumbouya, The New York Times reported, told the press conference: “We are no longer going to entrust politics to one man, we are going to entrust it to the people. We come only for that.” He added that it was a soldier’s duty to save a country.

Doumbouya, promising the formation of a new government, assured that there would be no “witch hunt” of the former government officials. Asking the former ministers and president security personnel to cooperate with the military, it was announced that any failure would be considered a rebellion. Citing reasons for the coup, Doumbouya said mismanagement, corruption and bad governance had been persisting in Conde’s government and this coup had been done for the people.

Speaking to France 24, on Monday, Doumbouya said, “We are here to allow Guineans to live together and for all of us to enjoy the benefits of this country. That is our objective. We are not here to play games. We are here to learn from mistakes.” He said the army was there to “help build the country” and “end the misery of Guinean people”. Doumbouya said Conde was in a safe place and had seen a doctor.