Guinea’s military junta on Tuesday began talks with political, religious, and business leaders to chart the West African nation’s future following a coup that ousted President Alpha Conde over a week ago, reported Reuters.
Colonel Mamady Doumbouya led military junta, which is already facing extreme international pressure to set a timeframe for new elections, opened the four-day series of meetings to discuss Guinea’s future following the September 5 coup.
Opposition party leaders who were called for the meeting have publicly backed the coup and laid more criticism on ousted President Alpha Conde. The 83-year-old leader was detained by the junta during the coup and his exact whereabouts have not been disclosed.
Conde’s presidential candidacy sparked violent street protests last year. He made an amendment to the country’s Constitution that allowed him to extend his rule for a third term.
“It is about the possibility to have a discussion amongst all the civil society, the Guinean civil society, and political parties,” said Sidya Toure, head of the Union of Republican Forces party.
He said the ongoing talks would help to handle the transition that will give a real government and real elections that can be accepted by Guineans.
Ousmane Kaba, the opposition leader from the Party of Democrats for Hope, said that the military coup was to stop the institutional constitutional coup made by Conde, who had changed the constitution to seek a third term.
Kaba, along with other opposition leaders, called the international community to help the country during the crucial period.
“I think the international community should help us, should help Guinea to have a good transition,” he told journalists after the meeting.
The African and Union West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS has already suspended Guinea’s membership and have called out the military junta for the immediate of the deposed president.
