Guinea unions warn of protests in delay over new prime minister



Guinea's powerful unions behind a general strike and political unrest that cost 59 lives have threatened to renew mass protests if a deal on the appointment of a prime minister is not respected. "If the prime minister who is to be named by the head of state ... does not meet the criteria indicated in the draft agreement, (we) will descend in to the streets," one trade union leader, Ibrahima Fofana, warned late Thursday, February 1. The labour federations on January 26 called off the 18-day strike that had paralysed the west African country after reaching an agreement with government officials on naming a prime minister for Guinea.

Guinea unions warn of protests in delay over new prime minister

Guinea unions warn of protests in delay over new prime minister

by Mouctar Bah February 2, 2007

Caption: Protesters (background) face a van of police during a demonstration in Conakry suburb, part of a general strike, 22 January 2007. Embattled Guinea President Lansana Conte signed a decree setting out the functions of an incoming prime minister in line with a deal with unions to end a crippling general strike.(AFP/File/Georges Gobet)

CONAKRY (AFP) - Guinea's powerful unions behind a general strike and political unrest that cost 59 lives have threatened to renew mass protests if a deal on the appointment of a prime minister is not respected.

"If the prime minister who is to be named by the head of state ... does not meet the criteria indicated in the draft agreement, (we) will descend in to the streets," one trade union leader, Ibrahima Fofana, warned late Thursday.

The labour federations on January 26 called off the 18-day strike that had paralysed the west African country after reaching an agreement with government officials on naming a prime minister for Guinea.

By Friday, however, nobody in official circles could say how close President Lansana Conte, who has been in power since 1984 and suffers from diabetes and acute memory lapses, had come to appointing a government leader.

A facilitator sent by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was due Friday in the uneasy capital Conakry to help the government, the unions and other political stakeholders party to the leadership crisis.

Under the deal signed between trade unions and government, the post of prime minister, vacant since Conte in April 2006 sacked Cellou Diallo, will be filled by "a high ranking competent civilian, with integrity" not implied in any form of corruption.

Fofana said the unions were staying alert "and we do not intend to ease the pressure until we obtain all our demands."

"Nobody can say today that President Conte is thinking or if he is making contacts ... because for one week, there has been no consultation on this issue with the political and social players," Fofana said.

A source close to the presidency attributed the delay in naming a government leader to jostling among Conte's close aides, evoking "family pressure and rival affinities in the head of state's entourage."

Gilles Yabi, a specialist analyst on Guinea for the International Crisis Group (ICG) expressed concern at the delay in naming the premier: "It is rather worrying because we don't know what is going on."

The secretary general of the opposition Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), Mamadou Ba, warns that the decision could be made on the streets.

"If nothing is done by the middle of next week, if nothing is done and Conte has still not decided, the streets will force him to make a decision," he predicted.

Meantime Nigeria's former military ruler Ibrahim Babangida headed for Guinea as an ECOWAS special envoy to mediate in the country's crisis, the 15-nation bloc announced in a statement.

"Babangida's mission will facilitate the implementation of the agreement reached between the Guinean government, trade unions and other political stakeholders and lay the groundwork for a visit of ECOWAS heads of state, if necessary," ECOWAS said.

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: February, 2007; Peace Corps Guinea; Directory of Guinea RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Guinea RPCVs; Safety and Security of Volunteers

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