The general staff of the armies in Guinea affirmed on Saturday November 4 its “unwavering commitment” to the authorities and called on the population for calm after the armed operation which released former dictator Moussa Dadis Camara from prison.
In a press release read on state television, the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, General Ibrahima Sory Bangoura, presents this operation as an attempt to “sabotage” the reform action carried out under the leadership of Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who took power by force in September 2021.
“We, the defense and security forces, reaffirm our unwavering commitment to these reforms which are crucial to the progress and stability of our nation,” he said. “We invite the population to be calm and vigilant,” he added.
The exchanges of fire with automatic weapons which woke up the center of Conakry on Saturday morning immediately brought to mind the putsch of September 2021, when Colonel Doumbouya and his men overthrew civilian President Alpha Condé by force of arms. More broadly, West Africa has been the scene of a series of putsches and attempted coups since 2020.