Thousands of people took to the streets in Guinea on Monday to protest against the government. But, the protest soon turned violent after clashes between rival groups injured at least 12 people in the east, reported Yahoo News.
Crowds marched from the suburbs of the capital Conakry to the city centre and there were also demonstrations in other cities including Labe, Pita, Dalaba, Mamou and Boke.
The protesters in Conakry came out dressed in red and were seen carrying placards reading “No to a new constitution” and “No to a third mandate for Alpha Conde”. Former Prime Ministers Cellou Dalein Diallo and Sidya Toure were also a part of the crowd in Conakry.
The protests turned violent in the Conde stronghold of Kankan in the east when the president’s supporters attacked protesters and injured at least 12 of them.
The West African country has been facing rolling protests since mid-October over concerns that President Alpha Conde is likely planning to seek a third term in office when he announced a draft constitution last month. Conde became the country’s first democratically elected president in 2010 before winning re-election in 2015. Under the present constitution, presidents are limited to two terms in office.
About 20 people and one gendarme have died since the protests began.
Abdourahmane Sanoh, the coordinator of National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), an alliance of opposition groups behind the protests, said they were planning to increase the number of protest rallies from January 13.
“I ask that all Guinean people be ready from January 13,” he said.
Last month, the main opposition parties vowed to boycott the upcoming legislative elections and prevent them from taking place, citing irregularities in the electoral roll.
President Conde has not yet officially confirmed if he intends to run for president again when his second term ends in 2020.
