GUINEA
GUINEA – Alpha Condé: «French journalists do not respect African leaders»
Guinean President Alpha Condé does not appreciate the attitude of French journalists towards African Heads of State. He expressed his feelings at the opening ceremony of the first edition of the “Guinéa investment forum” held on Wednesday, 24 February 2021.
The first edition of the “Guinéa investment forum” officially started on Wednesday. An opportunity taken by the President of Guinea, Alpha Condé, to settle his accounts with those who unfairly criticize Guinea. We are trying to criticize Guinea. I spoke with the German ambassador some time ago and he said to me, “Mr. Condé, we are victims of the same thing. As soon as we speak, the Greeks tell us the Nazis”. Guinea has made great progress on human rights, but it continues to be considered as before,” he said, challenging some of his African peers. “So-called democratic countries in Africa are putting their opponents in jail. We have never put opponents in jail. The people in prison are not politicians despite the campaign,” he added.
But his diatribe is mainly directed against French journalists to whom he accuses of not respecting African heads of state. “But you know, French journalists do not respect African heads of state. I do not accept that I am not respected. We must behave with me as with the French President. What you cannot do with the French President, you will not do with me. That’s why RFI and France 24 tell what they want. But the lie can go fast, but the truth always catches up. The true image of Guinea will be known. Victory has many peers, defeat orphaned. We will ensure that Guinea is at the destiny of what history promised us,” he said.
It must be said that this is not the first time that Alpha Condé has expressed his anger at the condescending attitude of French journalists. In 2018, the President of Guinea attacked journalists from TV5, RFI and France24 in a prelude interview to the celebration of the 60th anniversary of Guinea’s independence on 2 October of the same year. He reproached them for having come with firm ideas and their ignorance of the country. “I’m shocked to hear you say that Guinea didn’t emerge, I’m shocked, frankly,” he said, lecturing journalists for several minutes.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Morissanda Kouyaté, received this Sunday, June 1, 2025 in Conakry a delegation from the African Union, on an official visit to Guinea. On this occasion, he reaffirmed the commitment of the transitional authorities to respect the deadlines set for the return to constitutional order, while stressing the historical and central role of Guinea in the construction of the Pan-African project.
« I am very happy. The African Union is at Guinea’s side to accompany and support the vision of the head of state, President Mamadi Doumbouya, in favor of Guinea and Africa, in the political, diplomatic, economic, and cultural fields, declared the head of Guinean diplomacy.
This meeting takes place in a context marked by the preparations for the constitutional referendum scheduled for next September 21.
Morissanda Kouyaté also recalled the founding involvement of Guinea in the creation of the Organization of African Unity, which became the African Union. “This visit materializes the commitment of the Peace and Security Council to accompany Guinea in a dynamic of ambitious political and diplomatic transformation,” he stressed.
The minister indicated that all actions related to the transition are currently funded by the national development budget, while calling for a broader mobilization of the international community. “We have requested a round table, called the Basketfront, to seek support to speed up the process. But this does not mean that we will give up,” he said, reiterating President Doumbouya’s willingness to scrupulously respect the scheduled deadlines.
He finally wanted to reassure on the efforts made to ensure an inclusive electoral process. “We are going through a difficult period, and that is why we want all Guineans to be registered in order to obtain a reliable electoral roll,” concluded Morissanda Kouyaté.
Source: guinee360 / Photo credit: Page Ministry of Foreign Affairs Guinea
A court in Conakry on appeal sentenced a Guinean opponent to two years in prison on Wednesday for “offense and defamation” against the junta leader, one of his lawyers told AFP.
Aliou Bah, president of the Liberal Democratic Movement (Model), has been in custody since December 2024. He was sentenced at first instance in January to the same two-year prison term for “offense and defamation” against General Mamadi Doumbouya.
The public prosecutor had requested a five-year sentence on appeal on 22 April 2025.
The Attorney General of the Court of Appeal, Fallou Doumbouya, had considered that the sentence handed down at first instance was “excessively derisory”. At the opening of his appeal trial in late March, Mr. Bah had pleaded not guilty: “I do not acknowledge the facts that are reproached to me,” he said before the court.
According to his defence, Mr. Bah is accused of having, during meetings, “called the religious leaders (Guineans) out of their silence” on the situation in Guinea, and described as “incompetent” the CNRD, the governing body of the junta.
“The trial judgement was confirmed” on Wednesday by the Court of Appeal, which handed down a two-year final sentence against the opponent, Hady Galissa told AFP.
He specified that a consultation of the defence lawyers would decide whether or not to appeal in cassation before the Supreme Court. AFP journalists were prevented from entering the courtroom by the gendarmes.
This conviction of Aliou Bah takes place in a tense climate, marked by the disappearance of several opponents to the military regime and a severe restriction of freedoms in this West African country.
Demonstrations demanding the departure of the military are regularly banned and several media have been closed in the country.
General Doumbouya took power by force in September 2021 after ousting the civilian president, Alpha Condé, who had been in power for more than ten years.
Sources: seneweb
On Saturday, 10 September 2023, the Nigerian junta accused France of planning an aggression, explaining that Paris «continues to deploy its forces in several ECOWAS countries». «We do not recognize any legitimacy to the statements of the putschists», replied Emmanuel Macron since the G20 summit in India. Within ECOWAS, the possible military intervention against the perpetrators of the coup d’état at the end of July in Niamey remains an eventuality, even if obviously, we do not hurry.
The boat that had to transport Senegalese troops and others to participate in a possible military intervention against the Nigerien junta should have docked a few days ago at the port of Cotonou. But that is not the case. An interlocutor in the Presidency of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) comments: “There are still adjustments to be made.”
In fact, according to our information, the Senegalese troops are ready, but are waiting for the decision of the politicians. Some wonder: has President Macky Sall changed his opinion on the issue?
Ghana has also agreed to provide troops. They are ready, even if observers wonder: this country facing enormous economic difficulties, does it really have the means to finance the departure of its soldiers to the front?
Nigeria remains. President Bola Tinubu, at first, was the most determined to restore constitutional order in Niger by force if necessary. Abuja is the locomotive of a possible military intervention. But for the past few weeks, Nigeria has taken a step forward and then a step back.
Recall that at the end of August, and for the first time since the beginning of the crisis in Niger, the President of Nigeria and current head of ECOWAS evoked the possibility of a transition «if the military power [in place in Niamey] is sincere». Remarks transcribed in a statement on 30 August by the Nigerian Presidency and denied by ECOWAS had to deny the idea of a «transition calendar»And this, while Nigeria is considered from the beginning as one of the engines of a potential military intervention in Niger.
