The latest coup attempt in Guinea has been condemned by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who has also called for the release of President Alpha Conde, reported ANI News.
“I am personally following the situation in Guinea very closely. I strongly condemn any takeover of the government by force of the gun and call for the immediate release of President Alpha Conde,” Guterres wrote in a tweet on Sunday.
The statement came after Guinean Special Forces claimed to seize power in a coup on Sunday, after arresting President Conde. The rebels have also imposed an indefinite curfew in the West African country.
Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who has reportedly been identified as the coup leader, announced the dissolution of the government, suspension of the constitution, and the closure of the country’s borders.
The coup leader said the army had been forced to take the action because of poverty, endemic corruption, abuse of power, and a lack of respect for democratic principles.
“The duty of a soldier is to save the country,” said Doumbouya, draped in a Guinean flag with about a half dozen other soldiers flanked at his side.
He said Guinea’s politics will no longer be entrusted to one man but to the people of the country.
The coup announcement was followed by several rounds of heavy gunfire near the presidential palace in the capital of Conakry.
Videos shared on social media on Sunday showed President Conde in a room surrounded by army special forces.
Conde won a third term in October after amending the constitution to allow him to stand again for the presidential post, despite violent protests from the opposition. The election raised concerns of further political upheavals in the African country.
Guinea, which is home to around 13 million people, is one of the poorest countries in the world despite having abundant mineral resources.
