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world news Dialuna 6 September 2021

Soldiers detain Guinea’s president, dissolve government

(AP) — Mutinous soldiers a half dozen other soldiers and days. In Sunday’s speech,
in the West African nation flanked at his side. Doumbouya called on other
of Guinea detained Presi- soldiers “to put themselves
dent Alpha Conde on Sun- “We will no longer entrust on the side of the people” and
day after hours of heavy politics to one man; we will stay in their barracks.
gunfire rang out near the entrust it to the people,”
presidential palace in the Doumbouya said, without Doumbouya said he was act-
capital, then announced mentioning Conde by name ing in the best interests of
on state television that or where he was being held. the nation, citing a lack of
the government had been economic progress by lead-
dissolved in an apparent He later confirmed to France ers since the country gained
coup d’etat. 24 television that Conde was independence from France in
in a “secure spot” and had 1958.
The country’s borders were seen a doctor.
closed and its constitution “If you see the state of our
also was declared invalid A former U.S. diplomat in roads, if you see the state of
in the announcement read Conakry confirmed to The our hospitals, you realize that country’s first democratic tions broke out last year after
aloud on state television by Associated Press that the after 72 years, it’s time to election since independence Conde organized a referen-
army Col. Mamadi Doum- president had been taken wake up,” he said. “We have from France. Many saw his dum to modify the constitu-
bouya, who told Guineans: into custody by the putsch- to wake up.” presidency as a fresh start for tion. The unrest intensified
““The duty of a soldier is to ists. The diplomat, who was the country, which has been after he won the October
save the country.” in contact with Guinean of- Observers, though say the mired by decades of corrupt, election, and the opposition
ficials, spoke on condition of tensions between Guinea’s authoritarian rule. said dozens were killed dur-
Conde’s whereabouts had anonymity due to the sensi- president and the army colo- ing the crisis.
been unknown for hours after tivity of the matter. nel stemmed from a recent Opponents, though, say he
the intense fighting Sunday proposal to cut some military has failed to improve the lives Guinea has had a long his-
in downtown Conakry un- Conde, in power for more salaries. of Guineans, most of whom tory of political instability
til a video emerged showing than a decade, had seen his live in poverty despite the since independence. In 1984,
the 83-year-old leader tired popularity plummet since he Heavy gunfire had erupted country’s vast mineral riches, Lansana Conte took control
and disheveled in military sought a third term last year, early Sunday near the presi- which include bauxite and of the country after the first
custody. It was not immedi- saying that term limits did dential palace and went on gold. post-independence leader
ately known when or where not apply to him. Sunday’s for hours, sparking fears died. He remained in power
the video was taken, though dramatic developments un- in a nation that already has The following year Conde for a quarter century until his
a soldier’s voice can be heard derscored how dissent had seen multiple coups and narrowly survived an assas- death in 2009.
asking Conde whether the mounted within the military presidential assassination at- sination attempt after gun-
putschists had harmed him as well. tempts. The Defense Min- men surrounded his home A second coup soon followed,
in any way. istry claimed that the attack overnight and pounded his leaving army Capt. Moussa
However, it was not imme- had been repelled by security bedroom with rockets. Rock- “Dadis” Camara in charge.
Doumbouya, the com- diately known how much forces, but uncertainty grew et-propelled grenades also He later went into exile after
mander of the army’s special support Doumbouya actu- when there was no subse- landed inside the compound surviving an assassination at-
forces unit, later addressed ally had within the military quent sign of Conde on state and one of his bodyguards tempt, and a transitional gov-
the nation from state televi- and whether forces loyal to television or radio. was killed. ernment later organized the
sion headquarters, draped in Conde might try to retake landmark 2010 election won
a Guinean flag with about power in the coming hours In 2010, Conde had won the Violent street demonstra- by Conde.

El Salvador court drops ban on presidential reelection

(AP) — El Salvador’s top court what it called a ruling that cannot be ing the period immediately before or tional Liberation Front.
and its election authority have appealed. during the last six months before the
tossed aside what seemed to be beginning of the presidential term.” The conservative Nationalist Re-
a constitutional ban on consecu- The rulings — by a court recently publican Alliance said the effort to
tive presidential reelection, set- overhauled by Bukele’s party — The populist president elected in maintain and concentrate power “is
ting the stage for President Nayib alarmed opposition parties and citi- 2019 has maintained high popular- the precursor to a dictatorship. Power
Bukele to potentially seek a sec- zen activist groups who have long ac- ity with his vows to stamp out cor- tends to corrupt. Absolute power cor-
ond term in 2024. cused the popular leader of authori- ruption that was rampant among rupts absolutely.”
tarian tendencies and who said the the country’s traditional parties. His
The Supreme Court’s Constitutional ruling was clearly unconstitutional. New Ideas party won a congressional The chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Em-
Chamber on Friday told the Supreme majority this year and immediately bassy in San Salvador, Jean Manes,
Electoral Tribunal to permit a second Bukele has not so far announced after taking its seats in the National said at a news conference that the
term, and the electoral authority an- plans to seek reelection, but critics as- Assembly in May, it replaced the U.S. government condemns the de-
nounced Saturday it would accept sume he will. five members of the Constitutional cision.
Chamber and the independent attor-
“The election of 2024 will be a great ney general who had balked at several Noting the legislature earlier replaced
farce,” said attorney Eduardo Escobar of Bukele’s earlier actions. the magistrates on the Constitutional
of the nongovernmental group Citi- Chamber with judges loyal to the
zen Action. Attorney Salvador Salvador Enrique president, Manes said the court’s rul-
Anaya, whose case challenging efforts ing “demonstrates a clear strategy to
Until now, courts have interpreted to promote reelection led to the court undermine judicial independence
El Salvador’s constitution to forbid action, argued that the decision “has and remove a key counterweight to
presidents from seeking reelection no legal value: It is not signed by the the executive branch.”
for 10 years — equivalent to two five- justices.”
year terms of the National Assembly “A fundamental principle of democ-
— after their initial term. “The state ceased to be at the service racy is the three branches of govern-
of the people and passed to be at the ment, so a weakening of the indepen-
The constitution bars the candidacy service of one person,” tweeted Ana- dence of the judiciary is a sign of a
of those who have held the presiden- bel Belloso, a congress member for democracy in decline in El Salvador,”
cy for more than six months “dur- the opposition Farabundo Marti Na- she said.