Guinean Leader’s Bid to Change Constitution Sparks Protests

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Two people were killed Monday as protesters clashed with security forces across the West African nation during demonstrations against proposed changes to Guinea’s constitution that may allow President Alpha Conde to extend his 10-year rule.

Conde, 81, is likely to try to stay in power after his second — and legally last — term ends in October. Last month, he unveiled a proposed new constitution that’s to replace a 2010 version he says was drafted hastily under a military junta. Opposition and union leaders have called for nationwide protests from Monday amid widespread discontent about Conde’s refusal to state clearly what his intentions are.

While Russia has thrown its weight behind the former academic, both the U.S. and France, Guinea’s former colonial ruler, have urged Conde to avoid risking civil unrest.

One person was killed in the capital, Conakry, the ministry of security and civil protection said in an emailed statement. The second victim died in the north-eastern town of Labe, the hometown of opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo, according to a separate statement.

Guinea holds the world’s largest deposits of bauxite, a key raw material for making aluminum. At the same time, it’s one of the poorest nations globally, ranking 174th out of 189 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index.

Protests in Guinea have often turned deadly in the decade that Conde has been in office, with police using live bullets in the poorest neighborhoods of the capital. Conde already faced mass protests about the outcome of previous votes and the delay of legislative elections by several years. At least 14 people have been killed since October, according to the opposition.

Guinea will probably head for “turbulent times, with more deadly clashes between security forces and protesters” if a referendum to approve the changes to the constitution goes ahead, said Mathias Hounkpe, program manager at the Open Society Initiative for West Africa.

Source: Bloomberg Business News