Guinea’s former president, Alpha Conde, has come under scrutiny once again as the country’s Justice Minister, Alphonse Wright, has ordered an investigation into Conde for his suspected involvement in treason. This move comes two years after Conde was ousted by the military in a coup, as reported by Al Jazeera.
According to reports, the public prosecutor received a letter from Wright, authorizing the investigation to delve into “alleged acts of treason, criminal conspiracy, and complicity in the illicit possession of arms and ammunition.”
Conde, who served as Guinea’s first democratically elected leader, was removed from power by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya’s special army unit in September 2021. The military takeover was triggered by Conde’s controversial bid to extend his decade-long presidency for a third term, which was met with forceful suppression of dissenting voices during protests. Subsequently, Conde has faced multiple legal inquiries by Guinea’s military authorities, involving accusations of corruption, sexual assault, abduction, torture, and assassination.
The West and Central African regions have witnessed a spate of coups in recent times, with Guinea joining the ranks of countries such as Gabon, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where coups took place between 2020 and 2023.
Amidst these developments, the leaders of the Guinean military have committed to restoring civilian governance in the country by 2026.
Presently, Alpha Conde resides in exile in Turkey, removed from the political turmoil unfolding in his home country.
