International Diplomatic Consultant, Farouk Al-Wahab has hinted that the ousted Guinean President, Alpha Conde, will only be released after an interim government has been instituted.
He rationalized that this will be the turn of event as the military will be careful not to give Alpha Conde too much freedom which may backfire.
Explaining his point further, he told Happy FM’s Sefa Danquah on the ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ show: “I have said that Alpha Conde is not really in prison. If after such a revolution, you leave him, that tension will be there. The moment he is released before the cameras in Accra or Abidjan, the tension will be there. The tension will be that his fellow Presidents across West Africa who didn’t criticize him; allowing him to do Coup D’etat with a pen, they will start to talk and then he [Alpha Conde] will hold himself up as a president in exile and he can then say that he has not been demoted. He will say that he is still the President and that he will fight back. It has happened several times in Africa.”
Al-Wahab added that Alpha Conde’s freedom can only be guaranteed after the interim government has reached an agreement and the terms of reference for his release has been published. “At the time the Terms of Reference is released, the whole world will know that there is an interim government and as such Alpha Conde cannot hold himself as President,” he stated.
Background
Col Mamady Doumbouya has been sworn is as Guinea’s interim president after leading a coup which saw the overthrow of Alpha Condé.
The former French legionnaire, 41, becomes Africa’s second-youngest leader, after Mali’s Assimi Goïta, 38, who also staged a military takeover.
Col Doumbouya is barred from contesting future elections, under a transitional charter published this week.
The 5 September coup has been widely condemned.
Both West Africa body Ecowas and the African Union have suspended Guinea.
Ecowas also imposed sanctions against the coup leaders and demanded a return to constitutional order within six months.
Guinea’s military junta has announced plans to move the country towards civilian rule but did not specify how long the transition would be.
The document was drawn up after days of consultation between the military and political, religious and business leaders.
Anyone taking part in the interim government led by a civilian prime minister will be barred from standing in the following elections.
Col Doumbouya said the army had seized power because of rampant corruption, disregard for human rights and economic mismanagement under 83-year-old former President Condé.
