There’s a political change taking place all across Africa, but one wonders who exactly benefits from this change. Africa is a mineral rich continent with a population of more than 1.3 billion but millions of people live below poverty lines, owing to pervasive corruption, dysfunctional democratic systems, ineffective international aid agencies and even a new type of colonialism driven by the Eastern Countries with China, a leading player of this modern colonialism.
Guinea is the recent African country to see power change through a military coupe.
A familiar political change, even more so for an Iron ore and bauxite rich West African country Guinea, which has never seen a smooth transition of power since 1958 during the dawn of democracy and independence from French colonialism, is seeing yet another military take over for a third time. In just over a year ago, a similar military regime took place in Mali, in 2018 Robert Mugabe was removed from power by the military and recently in Guinea history, “Jikelele-NGQU”, a siXhosa proverb that means “What goes around comes around,” perhaps for Guinea its coming back around because in the last two military take overs the People of Guinea were promised a change that will transform the country’s people and ensure a smooth transition of power through a democratic election. It became clear though that such will not be the case as Alpha Conde Amended the Constitution to allow for him to run for a third term in office which means there’s no limits to how many terms a president should be in office.
ECOWAS not consistent in pushing for democracy in West Africa.
The 83 year old President is in Custody of the Military Junta, it is reported that there will be no witch-hunt for ministers who served under Conde but Political prisoners jailed by Alpha Conde were released. The West African regional bloc came out to condemn the coupe and threatened to sanctioned the Army if Conde is not released, but politics of credibility of ECOWAS resurface because it allowed Conde and Ivory Coast president Alassane Ouattara to seek a third term in office. Although ECOWAS threatened to Sanction Mali’s Junta if a democratic election is not held but the regional bloc gave in to the 18 month delay in Mali election.
No clarity on when new Government will be formed.
It is not clear when the new government will be formed. Colonel Mamady Doumbouya who reportedly heads the army’s Special Forces unit in Guinea said in a statement ‘’A consultation will be launched to set down the broad parameters of the transition, and then a government of national union will be established to steer the transition.” Col. Doumbouya also urged the ministers to not escape the country, ministers to handover state vehicles to the military and has reportedly announced the opening of land and air borders.
