Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
UNDERSTAND GUINEA
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Guinea Today
Following the death in 2008 of president Lansana Conté, an army contingent under Captain
Moussa Dadis Camara took power in a coup d'état. 'Dadis' promised that he'd quickly
clean up the Guinean house, organise elections and return to the army barracks. His initial
measures, such as cracking down on Guinean drug rings (Guinea is one of West Africa's
hubs of the cocaine trade), and announcing anti-corruption measures and new mining deals
(Guinea is hugely rich in natural resources, owning 30% of the world's bauxite resources),
gained him many followers.
However, his announcement in 2009 that he would consider standing in the upcoming
elections, and increasing violence committed by members of the army, provoked furious re-
actions. On 28 September 2009, army elements quashed a large demonstration with ex-
treme violence. A UN commission denounced the events as a crime against humanity, and
it is thought that over 150 people were killed. Two months later, 'Dadis' was shot (but not
killed) following a dispute with his aide-de-camp Toumba Diakite.
After meeting in Ouagadougou in January 2010, 'Dadis', his vice-president Sekouba
Konaté and Blaise Compaoré, president of Burkina Faso, produced a formal statement of
12 principles promising a return of Guinea to civilian rule within six months. A provisional
government supervised the transition to civilian rule at the end of 2010.
After half a century in opposition, Alpha Conde, from the Malinke ethnic group, was de-
clared winner in Guinea's first democratic election since independence from France in
1958. However, the vote kindled ethnic tensions. Conde's defeated rival, Cellou Dalein Di-
allo, is a member of the Fula ethnic group, to which 40% of Guineans belong. Diallo has
consistently accused the president of marginalising his constituents, including many Fula.
Conde's Conakry residence suffered an armed attack in July 2011. The building was par-
tially destroyed, but Conde was unharmed.
Travel here can be difficult. Guinea is not as set up for tourism as some other countries
in the region, and beyond the capital creature comforts are scarce. Taxis and buses are
poorly maintained and unreliable, and for overlanders, rugged tracks, steep laterite and
washed-out paths can be a challenge.
