Security Updates

Current Situation

As of 8 September, the National Committee of Rally and Development (Comité National du Rassemblement et du Developpment, CNRD) has amended the curfew hours, which will now run between 22:00 – 06:00 until further notice. The curfew has been lifted in mining areas to allow for the resumption of mining activities. Land and air borders reopened for commercial and humanitarian operations on 6 September after they had been temporarily closed following the 5 September coup. Additional security personnel have been deployed along the Liberia and Guinea-Bissau border regions to monitor the situation.

 As of 8 September, the situation in the capital Conakry remains calm. Protests erupted near the Prison Centrale in the Kaloum area of the capital city on 6 September. Military personnel remain widely deployed in Conakry, including around the strategic 8 November Bridge and Presidential Palace. Between 6 – 7 September, celebratory gatherings were reported in Boké and Kankan. Overall however the security and political situation in Guinea remain fluid and could deteriorate further with little notice. The coup is being led by Lieutenant Colonel Doumbouya of the Special Forces Group (Groupement des forces Speciales). The coup ousted former President Condé, who remains in an undisclosed location. Doumbouya has announced the suspension of the constitution, the dissolution of the government and that the CNRD has assumed power. In a bid to consolidate their powers, the soldiers that led the coup have installed army officers at the top of Guinea’s eight regions and various administrative districts. The CNRD has announced that a government of national unity will be put in place to lead the transitional period, though no further details regarding what the transition will entail or a date for democratic elections have been announced.

Reporting

Military leaders who have seized power in the West African country released eighty political prisoners on the evening of 7 September ahead of a summit of the West African grouping ECOWAS. Those released by military leaders had been opponents of President Alpha Condé, including a number who had campaigned against his third term in office. The leaders of the ECOWAS bloc are due to meet virtually on Wednesday 8 September to discuss the Guinea coup.

On Tuesday 7 September, Guinea’s main opposition leader disclosed that he was open to participating in a transition following a military coup over the weekend. While coup leader Doumbouya has promised a transitional government of national unity and a “new era for governance and economic development,” he has yet to explain what this will entail or provide a timeframe. On Tuesday, Guinea’s main opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo disclosed that he had not yet been consulted about the transition, noting however that he was ready to participate. Diallo, a former prime minister who finished runner-up to Condé in three successive elections, most recently in October 2020, stated, “we would send representatives, why not, to participate in the process to bring the country back to constitutional order.”  

On 6 September, Doumbouya met with Condé’s ministers and senior government officials where he told them that “a consultation will be carried out to define the major framework of the transition, then a government of national unity will be put in place to lead the transition,” adding that “at the end of this transitional phase, we’ll set the tone for a new era for governance and economic development.” Meanwhile Doumbouya has prohibited government officials from leaving the country and has ordered them to hand over their official vehicles. The politicians who attended Monday’s meeting were later escorted by soldiers in red berets through a jeering crowd to the army unit’s Conakry headquarters. Two diplomatic sources have disclosed that Prime Minister Ibrahima Kassory Fofana, Presidential Affairs Minister Mohamed Diané and National Assembly Speaker Amadou Damara Camara had been arrested.

Amnesty International, in a statement released on Monday 6 September, called on the coup leaders to clarify the legal basis for Condé’s detention and to free those that Condé had arbitrarily detained in the months surrounding last year’s election.

MS Risk Advisory

Movement restrictive measures, telecommunications disruptions, and disruptions to state and business operations are likely to continue in the coming days. Clashes between rival security force factions may also continue after clashes erupted on 5 September resulting in the death of five military personnel. Further public gatherings in response to developments are likely nationwide and these could be in favour of the coup or in support of the Condé government. Any gathering is likely to be met by a security force deployment. Clashes are possible at all protest locations.

Anyone considering travelling to Guinea is advised to defer travel until the situation stabilizes. Anyone currently in Guinea, including in Conakry and in other major city centres, is advised to monitor the local media and to maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Avoid concentrations of security personnel. Avoid all protests as they may turn violent with little warning. Plan for road travel delays and reconfirm all scheduled transport services, including flights, prior to departure.