“The president is with us,” Guinean Colonel Mamady Doumbouya told France 24

Published on : 09/06/2021 – 8:30 AMModified : 09/06/2021 – 08:33

Guinean special forces officers said on Sunday (September 5th) that they had captured President Alpha Condé, taken control of Conakry and “dissolved” the institutions, in a coup that could spell the retirement of a veteran of African politics.

In an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Guinea Malick Diakité on Sunday, the head of the special forces group, Mamady Doumbouya, said his men were holding Guinean President Alpha Condé. “The president is with us. He is in a safe place. He has already seen a doctor,” he said. “We hold all of Conakry and we are with all the defense and security forces to finally put an end to the Guinean evil,” he continued.

The putschists also announced the establishment of a curfew throughout the country “until further notice” as well as the replacement of governors and prefects by soldiers in the regions. In addition, they called on “the officials to resume work on Monday” and summoned the outgoing ministers and the presidents of the institutions to a meeting on Monday at 11 am (local and GMT), under penalty of being considered as “rebellious. against the CNRD [Comité national du rassemblement et du développement]”.

With AFP