- Title: Thousands in Guinea march against president's possible third term bid
- Date: 24th October 2019
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (FILE - 2017) (REUTERS) GUINEA PRESIDENT ALPHA CONDE MEETING FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON
- Embargoed: 7th November 2019 16:59
- Keywords: President Alpha Conde Guinea opposition campaigners Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea National Front for the Defence of the Constitution Cellou Diallo Third Mandate
- Location: CONAKRY, GUINEA / PARIS, FRANCE
- City: CONAKRY, GUINEA / PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: Guinea
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA002B2GIWD3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands of people chanting "Amoulanfe" and "Free the prisoners" brought the Guinea capital Conakry to a standstill on Thursday (October 24) to protest against a possible change in the constitution that would give President Alpha Conde a third term in office.
Amoulanfe means "it will not pass" in the local Susu language referring to attempts to change the constitution.
The march was organised by the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), a coalition of politicians and activists. More than 10 of them were sentenced to prison terms varying between 6 months and a year on Tuesday for inciting violence.
The peaceful, albeit heavily policed, protests were held in number of cities across the West African country.
Guinea, with a population of nearly 13 million, is Africa's biggest bauxite producer and is host to international mining companies.
On Tuesday, twelve FNDC leaders were sentenced to up to a year in prison for organising previous rallies in which nine people were killed. Last week, police opened fire on protesters as they ransacked military posts and blocked roads.
"Our first aim is to demand Alpha Conde renounce his plan for a third mandate. The second is to demand the release of our comrades Abdurahmane Sanoh and his colleagues as well as all those who were arrested and sentenced during our protests on the 14, 15 and 16th of October," said the main opposition leader Cellou Diallo
Eighty-one-year-old Conde, whose second and final five-year term expires next year, has refused to rule out running again and asked his government last month to look into drafting a new constitution.
His opponents fear that could be used as a reset button on his presidency, allowing him to run again like other African leaders who have amended or changed constitutions in recent years to stay in power.
Conde's first election victory in 2010 raised hopes for democratic progress in Guinea after two years of military rule and nearly a quarter of a century under authoritarian President Lansana Conte, who died in 2008.
But his critics accuse him of cracking down on dissent and violently repressing protests - charges he denies.
(Souleymane Camara, Yvonne Bell) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
