By Riches Soberekon
Guinea’s ruling junta has added new charges to the list of accusations against former President Alpha Condé, who was overthrown in a coup d’état in 2021. These charges, which include treason, criminal conspiracy, and complicity in the illegal possession of arms and munitions, were detailed in a letter from the justice minister to the Conakry public prosecutor.
Condé, who served as president from 2010 to 2021 and is currently in exile in Turkey, is already facing prosecution for alleged corruption, murder, torture, kidnapping, and rape.
In the letter, Justice Minister Alphonse Charles Wright alleged that Condé, in collaboration with Fodé Moussa Mara, a well-known blogger and supporter of Condé, “made attempts to acquire arms, ammunition, and related materials.” However, the letter did not provide any further details about the nature or quantity of these weapons.
Condé became Guinea’s first democratically elected president in 2010, marking the end of decades of authoritarian or dictatorial rule. However, his controversial decision to seek a third term in office sparked a strong protest movement that was met with severe repression.
Following the 2021 coup, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya was sworn in as president and pledged, under international pressure, to hand over power to elected civilians within two years, beginning in January 2023. He has also promised to rebuild a state plagued by divisions and rampant corruption. His administration has initiated numerous prosecutions against individuals close to former president Condé.
The coup d’état on September 5, 2021, is one of several putsches and attempted putsches that have destabilized West Africa since colonels seized power in Mali in August 2020.
