Four Killed in Protests Against Guinea’s Proposed New Constitution

President Alpha Conde proposes a new constitution that would allow him to run for a third term. (Official Internet Resources of the President of Russia)

Four Guinean protesters were killed by police in Conakry on October 14 as thousands of opposition supporters, civil society groups, and trade unionists protested the president’s attempt to extend his term, according to Guinea’s Red Cross. 

President Alpha Conde was the first president to come to power through a democratic transition of power since Guinea’s independence from France in 1958. He was elected in 2010 for a five-year term and was reelected in 2015. Experts say the proposed constitution will allow Conde to rule for a third term, defying the democratic standards of the previous constitution.

Though Conde’s government has been more tolerant of criticism than past regimes, they strongly warned against demonstrations and clamped down with force. 

Security forces used stun grenades, real bullets, and tear gas to disperse the protesters. The government claims that one law enforcement officer was killed by protesters in Mamou and that only one person died in Conakry. However, witnesses described two young protesters being shot and killed. Amnesty International alleged four deaths and said it feared that there were more dead or arrested. 

Clashes erupted outside of Conakry, with protesters burning tires and throwing stones. Many smaller towns experienced small pockets of violence, and schools were shut down. Interior Minister Bourema Conde condemned the protests as acts “that threatened the lives of our citizens.” At the same time, police surrounded the homes of Cellou Dalein Diallo and Sidya Toure, the leaders of the opposition Union of Republican Forces (UFR). Toure told the Agence France-Presse, “I ask Guineans to continue to protest and to block the way until the power understands that you cannot impose a dictatorship on us by force.”