By Shirley Farmer 
Sunday’s news brought us unexpectedly to the African continent where the special forces of Guinea Conakry announced that they had captured and “dissolved” President Alpha Condé after several hours of shooting throughout the morning. Automated machines near the presidential palace in the center of Conakry, the capital, and the movement of troops in the streets is evident, according to reports by international news agencies.
“After the dismissal of the president who is with us (…) we decided to dissolve the applicable constitution and dissolve the institutions. We also decided to dissolve the government and close the land and air borders,” said Colonel Mamadi Domboya, commander of the Special Forces, in a video, who also announced the closure of Guinea’s land and air borders. Conakry.
Mamadi Dumboya did not indicate the whereabouts of the president, but photos and videos showing Conde in the custody of the soldiers went viral on social media although their authenticity could not be verified.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Defense guaranteed, in a statement, that it had repelled a coup attempt.
Morocco selection held at a hotel in Conakry
Benfica midfielder Adel Taarabt is currently staying in a hotel in Conakry with the rest of the Moroccan national team, which is supposed to face Guinea Conakry today, in a match for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers to be held in Qatar.
According to the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, the team is safe and is awaiting permission to leave the country. The meeting was postponed by FIFA.
The Portuguese in the country are fine
Portugal’s ambassador to Senegal, Vitor Sereno, said today that he is “closely following the development of events” in Guinea Conakry, after news of an alleged coup, adding that the Portuguese are fine.
“Society is calm and managing the situation,” said Lusa Vitor Sereno, head of the Portuguese diplomatic mission in Senegal, which is also accredited to Guinea Conakry, to the agency.
According to the diplomat, between 50 and 60 Portuguese live in Guinea Conakry, the vast majority of whom work for the construction company Mota Engil.
Politics in one of the poorest countries in the world
Guinea Conakry, a West African country bordering Guinea-Bissau, is one of the world’s poorest countries and has faced, in recent months, a political and economic crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Alpha Conde’s candidacy for a third term, on October 18, 2020, unconstitutional by the opposition, led to months of tension that resulted in dozens of deaths.
The elections were preceded and followed by the arrest of dozens of opponents.
Many human rights advocates are critical of the authoritarianism observed during the last years of Conde’s presidency and question the early achievements of his government.
Today, Dumboyt said he acted in the interests of the nation, arguing that not enough economic progress had been made since the country’s independence from France in 1958.
Conde, a former historical dissident, imprisoned and even sentenced to death, in 2010 became the country’s first democratically elected president.