Guinea’s ruling military junta on Monday hinted it might not be able to meet a deadline to set out its plans to return to civilian rule, paving way for more sanctions from West Africa’s political and economic bloc, reported Reuters.
Last month, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) demanded the finalization of an acceptable transition timetable from Guinea’s transitional council by April 25, 2022.
The West African regional bloc had suspended Guinea from the block and sanctioned military junta members who were involved in the coup along with their family members.
The ECOWAS Authority had warned that it would impose more economic and financial sanctions on Guinea if the transitional military council fails to comply with the demands after the deadline.
When asked about the deadline in an interview with local radio station FIM FM on Monday, Guinea’s government spokesman Ousmane Gaoual Diallo said “Guinea’s reality will prevail over all other imperatives.”
“We are going to evolve, taking into account the context and specific situation of our country, towards exiting the transition,” Diallo told the radio station.
He did not go into more detail.
Coup leader Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who was also declared Guinea’s interim president, is yet to fix a date for elections after the ousting of President Alpha Conde in September last year. Conde was Guinea’s first democratically elected president and had been in power since 2010.
Guinea is among one of three West African countries where the military seized power in the space of just 18 months, along with Mali and Burkina Faso.
The West-African regional bloc has suspended all three countries from the bloc’s activities over the coups.
The military rulers of Burkina Faso, who were facing the same Monday deadline to present “acceptable” plans to hand back power to civilians after their January coup, are yet to make an announcement.
