- Title: Guineans protest against ECOWAS sanctions outside airport as leaders arrive
- Date: 17th September 2021
- Summary: CONAKRY, GUINEA (SEPTEMBER 17, 2021) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS PROFANITY*** ECOWAS LEADERS MOTORCADE LEAVING AIRPORT MILITARY VEHICLES FOLLOWING PROTESTERS STANDING AT ROUNDABOUT, HOLDING SIGNS AS MOTORCADE LEAVES AIRPORT PROTESTERS HOLDING SIGNS PROTESTER HOLDING SIGN, SAYING (French): "ECOWAS DOESN'T DECIDE FOR US" PROTESTER HOLDING SIGN, SAYING (French): "IT'S THE PEOPLE OF GUINEA WHO DECIDE" (SOUNDBITE) (French) UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER SHOUTING: "When Alpha Conde was changing the constitution, where was ECOWAS? When Alpha Conde was doing his third term, where was ECOWAS?" (SOUNDBITE) (French) PROTESTER, MAMOUD SAKHO, SAYING: "We don't want ECOWAS to interfere, the six months transition period they imposed on us only works in Hollywood movies, it can't work, it means they are not serious. Secondly, we know their tactics, they want to put pressure on the Junta, on our sovereignty, we don't want that, every time ECOWAS got involved in our problems here it all went to shit. We are mature enough to resolve our own problems, they should go back home, we don't want their agenda, we don't want pressure on Guinea, that's all." (SOUNDBITE) (French) PROTESTER, KABINET DOUMBOUYA, SAYING: "ECOWAS are zeroes because the decisions they've made concerning Guinea after the military coup, all those decisions are incoherent, they are not in line with what the people of Guinea want. Why? The Junta found a country going through difficult times, the people are suffering, the junta had the courage to take over power." PROTESTERS AT ROUNDABOUT OUTSIDE AIRPORT
- Embargoed: 1st October 2021 17:14
- Keywords: Africa Diplomacy ECOWAS Ghana Guinea Junta Mamady Doumbouya coup in Guinea
- Location: CONAKRY, GUINEA
- City: CONAKRY, GUINEA
- Country: Guinea
- Topics: Africa,Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001EV3Z4G7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: CONTAINS PROFANE LANGUAGE
The motorcades of Ivory Coast and Ghana presidents - Alassane Ouattara and Nana Akufo-Addo's, passed dozens of pro-junta demonstrators, brandishing signs outside Conakry's airport on Friday (September 17) as they were making their way to a meeting with coup leaders.
One read: "ECOWAS does not decide for us."
"We don't want ECOWAS to interfere, the six months transition period they imposed on us only works in Hollywood movies, it can't work, it means they are not serious," said protester Mamoud Sakho. He added, "they should go back home, we don't want their agenda, we don't want pressure on Guinea, that's all."
The West African leaders arrived in Guinea a day after the regional bloc sanctioned the new military leaders for ousting President Alpha Conde in a coup.
The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has demanded a return to constitutional rule since the special forces unit seized control of the presidential palace, detained Conde, and declared itself in charge on Sept. 6.
The bloc agreed on Thursday to freeze the financial assets of the junta and their relatives and bar them from travelling. It also demanded Conde's release. The junta has not responded.
(Production: Souleymane Camara, Christophe Van Der Perre, Paul Warren, Hedy Beloucif) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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