Answer to a Question
Question:
(The military council in Guinea announced that starting Tuesday, 2021/9/14, it would begin a series of meetings with political forces, civil society, and representatives of mining companies, in preparation for the formation of a government in the country... Dar Al-Hilal 2021/9/12). Guinea Conakry witnessed on the evening of Sunday, 2021/9/5, a military coup led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya of the Special Forces, who announced via a televised speech the arrest of the country's president, Alpha Condé, the dissolution of parliament and government, the suspension of the constitution, and the closure of borders. Who is behind this coup? And does it have a connection to the international conflict over the country?
Answer:
To clarify the correct view on this matter, we review the following points:
The leader of the coup, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, said on Guinean state television following the coup on the evening of Sunday 2021/9/5: "We have decided to dissolve the institutions and the government, and to close the land and air borders, and we direct those concerned to complete their work normally." He called on "military personnel to remain in their barracks" and held "the government responsible for the deteriorating conditions, the abuse of justice, the crushing of citizens, the lack of respect for democracy, and the politicization of administrative matters, in addition to poverty and widespread corruption." He said, "We have decided to arrest President Alpha Condé," who is 83 years old. He announced the replacement of military personnel for regional governors. The following day, the coup leader also pledged in a televised speech "to form a government of national unity to manage the transition," but did not specify the transition period. He summoned ministers and senior government officials to a meeting with him and threatened those who failed to attend that he would consider it a "rebellion against the National Committee for Rally and Development" (Comité national du rassemblement et du développement), which is the name the Special Forces chose for themselves. Soldiers led those officials in a disrespectful manner to the army headquarters in the capital, Conakry. He said, "We will no longer entrust politics to one man, but rather we will entrust it to the people," and he said, "We will all sit down to write a constitution that adopts a reality capable of solving our problems." All of this indicates his desire to take over the rule himself now and after the transition period.
Let us take a step back and recall what happened at the end of 2008, when a military group led by Captain Moussa Camara carried out a coup four hours after the announcement of the death of the President of the Guinean Republic, General Lansana Conté. They announced at that time that they "did not intend to remain in power for more than two years until presidential elections were held at the end of 2010." We mentioned the details of that coup in an Answer to a Question dated 2008/12/26 and explained that America was behind that coup, which was proven later. Indeed, elections were held in November 2010 and won by Alpha Condé, who was an opponent of the rule of General Lansana Conté, a French agent. Alpha Condé was known as a "historic opponent, as he opposed all the governments that succeeded one another in Guinea since its independence in 1958, and was exiled to Europe. Moreover, he was sentenced to death and imprisonment before he ascended the seat of power in 2010." (Al Jazeera 2015/10/24). He was seen as a savior for Guineans from the tyranny practiced by French agents. When the pro-American military carried out a coup in 2008, his position was moderate towards them; rather, he demanded that they hold elections as they promised. Indeed, the elections were held and Alpha Condé won. He was re-elected in 2015, and his term was supposed to end in 2020. He was not entitled to be elected for a third term according to the constitution. So, he carried out an amendment to it by a popular referendum in 2019 so that the elections would be held in October 2020, which he won amidst opposition protests against the referendum and the elections, as well as accusations of fraud. However, the Constitutional Court issued a decision in December 2020 confirming Condé's victory over his rivals who had filed complaints with it. The man was confident in himself and the popular support he enjoyed, so he did not take into account those who would overthrow him, as the army was with him.
Then this coup took place against him on 2021/9/5, and he was arrested... The international and regional responses to the coup clarify who stands behind it:
a) The response of America was severe towards this military coup. A statement issued by its State Department through its spokesperson Ned Price said: "The United States condemns the military seizure of power in Guinea and what happened Sunday evening in the capital, Conakry. Violence and any extra-constitutional measures will only erode Guinea’s prospects for peace, stability, and prosperity." The statement added that "the events that occurred in the Guinean capital, Conakry, could limit the ability of the United States and Guinea's other international partners to support the country, which seeks unity and a better future for the Guinean people." It said, "We urge the parties in Guinea to respect the constitution, renounce violence, and commit to the rule of law. We reiterate our encouragement for a national dialogue to provide a peaceful and democratic path forward for Guinea..." (Official website of the US State Department, Reuters 2021/9/6). This indicates that this coup does not serve America's interest, unlike the 2008 coup, to which its response was faint and it did not condemn it at all. Rather, it said then, "We are working with our partners in the region, other countries, and the African Union to encourage institutions in Guinea to take all necessary steps to establish a peaceful and democratic transition of power in Guinea." This speech was positive in favor of the coup plotters at that time. But this time, it condemned the coup, considered it violence, threatened to limit support for Guinea, and demanded commitment to the constitution, the democratic path, and the rule of law, not the sovereignty of the military.
b) Meanwhile, the French Foreign Ministry issued a faint statement and vague words following the coup, which said: "Paris joins the call of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to condemn the attempt to seize power by force and demand a return to the constitutional order." (AFP 2021/9/6). These words are merely an attempt to appease public opinion that rejects the coup and are not serious. It did not demand the return of President Condé to power, nor did it threaten the coup plotters with sanctions. Its position was not emotional as it was when a coup occurred in Mali against its agent Ibrahim Keita, where it demanded his return to rule and condemned the Mali coup at the highest levels. The French presidency said: "The head of state, Macron, is closely monitoring the situation and condemns the ongoing rebellion attempt." The French Foreign Minister, Le Drian, said: "France condemns in the strongest terms this serious incident." We mentioned the details of the Mali coup in an Answer to a Question on 2020/9/1. However, the Guinea coup was not condemned by the French presidency, nor did the French Foreign Ministry condemn it separately. Rather, it mentioned that it joins its voice to ECOWAS, which indicates its lack of interest in the condemnation, and it appears as if it is appeasing this ineffective administrative group! All this indicates that France was behind the recent coup in Guinea.
c) If we look at the history of the coup leader, we can confirm that France was behind him. As reported in French newspapers, the coup leader, Mamady Doumbouya, born in 1980, studied and trained at the War School in Saumur, western France. He obtained a diploma in higher military studies and gained the trust of French officers, so he was promoted to the rank of corporal and joined the French army in the Foreign Legion, which was founded long ago on March 10, 1831. During this time, Doumbouya participated within the French Legion in several missions for the French army in various countries, being loyal to France, until he returned to Guinea after 15 years. He was appointed head of the Special Forces in 2018 and promoted in 2019 to the rank of colonel. Information began to leak last year about the ambitious colonel's desire to increase the power and influence of the Special Forces he leads at the expense of the Ministry of Defense. News circulated last May about his planning for a coup and that he had been arrested as a result, but the government denied it. It appears that it was not a coup attempt but rather a demand to separate his Special Forces from the Ministry of Defense. For this reason, President Condé and the government did not have sufficient suspicions about him, and could not confirm them, preferring to keep him under their supervision since he was unable to separate the Special Forces from the Ministry of Defense and become independent with an apparatus through which he could do what he intended to do.
The coup led to an increase in aluminum prices in global markets, reaching their highest price in ten years, due to fears of supply disruptions, as Guinea is the world's largest producer of bauxite, which is used in aluminum production. The coup leader tried to reassure foreign partners and investors that Conakry's new leaders would maintain their commitments to them to continue normal activities in the country. (The military council led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya will meet with party heads and community leaders next Tuesday, while they will meet on Wednesday with civil society organizations and diplomatic missions, and on Thursday they will meet with heads of mining companies operating in Guinea and then employers' associations. Guinea is one of the richest countries in bauxite ore used in aluminum production, and it has mines for extracting iron, gold, and diamonds, yet it is one of the poorest countries in the world. The coup in Guinea led to the price of aluminum in global markets rising to its highest levels in years, and the military council sought to reassure Guinea's partners that production activities would not stop and that pledges would be respected... Dar Al-Hilal 2021/9/12).
It is well known that these companies loot this metal and other abundant minerals in Guinea and leave nothing for its people, who suffer from poverty, deprivation, and the spread of diseases. Guinea is considered one of the richest countries in many raw materials, yet its population is among the poorest in the world! Note that the overwhelming majority of them are Muslims. However, it is a country that was colonized by France and given its formal independence in 1958, while French influence remained in it. France built the state and the army, created the rulers and the political medium, remained in control of the economy, and made its culture dominant in the country. America came to compete with it and drive it out of there to take its place in extending influence and looting the country's wealth. The capitalist Western countries' goal is nothing but colonialism in Africa, and they do not care about the country's renaissance, progress, or solving people's problems. They take winning over the regime and rulers or the army leaders in the country as a means for colonialism, so they are relieved of sending their armies for occupation as it was previously, due to the availability of the possibility of extending influence and colonialism through the cheap loyalties they buy in the political or military medium. When they win over the regime and rulers or win over officers who carry out a military coup as they desire, the door is opened for them for colonialism and to extend influence. Thus, the international conflict will remain raging between the colonial countries over the small countries, especially in Africa. People cannot get rid of this grave evil except by the return of Islam to rule by establishing the Rightly Guided Khilafah in one or more of the Muslim countries, which will drive out the colonialists, liberate all the lands from the yoke of their colonialism, return the wealth to its owners, distribute its revenues to them, and bring about their renaissance.
وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ * بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِ يَنْصُرُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ
"And on that day the believers will rejoice in the victory of Allah. He gives victory to whom He wills, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful." (Ar-Rum [30]: 4-5)
6th of Safar Al-Khayr 1443 AH 2021/9/13 CE