Attack on President Condé an assault on democracy

19 July 2011

A violent attack on the Guinean president’s residence, which took place on Tuesday in the Guinean capital Conakry, is a deplorable attempt to undermine nascent democracy in the West African country.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, rocket propelled grenades hit President Alpha Condé’s home, swiftly followed by an armed assault by unidentified gunmen which was forced back by the president’s security forces. While the president was unharmed, a security guard was reported killed in the attack.

Though Guinea has a long and turbulent history of political unrest – including years of dictatorship and, more recently, periods of military rule – the country held its first free, fair and democratic elections in 2010, which resulted in the election of President Condé, who had spent decades in opposition campaigning to establish democracy in Guinea. Tuesday’s incident is the first outright attack of its kind on Condé and his leadership since he took office.


In a state address, Alpha Condé said: "Our enemies can try everything, but they cannot prevent the Guinean people's march towards democracy. Democracy has begun and it will continue, I promised you change and, God willing, change will happen."

The Socialist International condemns this cowardly attempt to plunge Guinea back into a period of history which its people have overwhelmingly chosen to reject.

We deplore any attempt to undermine the leadership of the democratically elected president of Guinea, and consider any attack on President Condé to be an assault on democracy. The Rally of the Guinean People (RPG), a member of the Socialist International, and its leader Alpha Condé have our full and wholehearted support.