Rhino – Agencies: Guinea’s military junta protested to the Russian ambassador after his embassy warned of possible unrest in the capital Conakry.
The warning was issued after junta leader Colonel Mamady Doumbouya dissolved the government on Monday and ordered the closure of all borders.
Guinean media reported that Ambassador Alexey Popov apologized to the military junta for what he called a misunderstanding. Colonel Doumbouya took power in the 2021 coup, dissolved his government last Monday without providing any explanation, and ordered the confiscation of the passports of the sacked ministers and the freezing of their bank accounts.
Colonel Doumbouya’s decision prompted the Russian embassy in Guinea to advise Russian citizens to exercise caution as there may be unrest in the West African country’s capital, Conakry, Guinean media reported. The junta reacted angrily, with a State Department official summoning Popov to a meeting.
Popov was quoted by state owned television and radio in Guinea as saying: “I made it clear that it was a misunderstanding, a false translation of what was published. The announcement was published in Russian only for Russian citizens.” The military council accepted the apology, while Popov said the incident would not affect relations between the two countries.
Guinea is one of several former French colonies in West Africa that have been hit by coups in recent years. The military councils, which seized power in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, turned towards Russia, while hostile to France and the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, however, Colonel Doumbouya tried to maintain good relations with all parties. He promised to hold elections to restore democratic governance by the end of 2024.
Colonel Doumbouya ousted President Alpha Condé in September 2021, saying the military had no choice but to seize power due to rampant corruption, disregard for human rights and economic mismanagement.
Condé was the first democratically elected president of Guinea, taking office in 2010 after the end of military rule, and was re-elected in 2015, but faced protests four years later when he changed the constitution to run for a third term.
