Question:
On 23/12/2008, it was announced in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, that military units had rebelled, four hours after the announcement of the death of the President of the Guinean Republic, General Lansana Conté. The following day, the coup plotters announced the formation of a consultative council under the name "National Council for Development and Democracy." It was announced that the military officer who broadcast the coup plotters' statement on the first day via the country's official radio, Captain Moussa Camara, was appointed as the head of this council. In the beginning, the Prime Minister opposed the coup, and the Commander of the Armed Forces supported the Prime Minister, calling on the coup plotters to remain loyal to the government... but the Prime Minister surrendered to the coup plotters less than three days later!
So, what is the reality of the matter? Is what happened a local occurrence where the coup plotters exploited the death of the President, or is it a regional or international event?
Answer:
Tracking the events, as well as the international positions declared regarding the coup, all show that the international struggle over Africa is not far from the events of the coup. To clarify this, we mention the following:
1- The leader of the coup, Captain Moussa Camara, announced in the name of the coup plotters that they "do not intend to continue in power for more than two years until presidential elections are held at the end of 2010" (BBC, 24/12/2008). He also mentioned that the reasons justifying the coup were, as he said, "that the institutions of the Republic showed their inability to face the existing crisis in the country, and from today, the constitution will be suspended, and political and trade union activities will be halted." He added: "the country is living in a state of extreme despair, and something had to be done to stop corruption and improve the economy" (BBC, 24/12/2008). This indicates that the coup had been planned beforehand and was not born in the four hours after the President's death, nor was it a reaction to the President's death. This is especially true since this Captain, who led the recent rebellion, had led more than one rebellion, the most recent being in May of this year.
2- As for the international reactions, they first came from France, which is considered the holder of influence in Guinea, its former colony: "France said it would resist any coup attempt" (BBC, 23/12/2008). Foreign Ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier said in a press conference: "We will not accept any situation that does not respect the constitution." He added: "It seems that the legitimate authorities are currently controlling the situation in the country; we have a claim, and it seems the facts do not support it" (Al Jazeera, 23/12/2008). It appears from these statements that France is fearful of the coup plotters' success and rejects their movement, even saying it would resist it! French newspapers attacked the coup plotters and continued their criticism of them; in fact, some mocked them, as Le Figaro did, saying: "The Guinean soldiers roaming the city of Conakry have placed at the head of their country a mysterious captain who was the head of the fuel department!"
3- As for the United States of America, White House spokesman Tony Fratto announced: "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." He added: "Clearly, the region is turbulent, and its history has often not seen this type of peaceful and democratic transition of power" (Al Jazeera, 23/12/2008). This indicates that the United States' claim that it is for the transition of power in a peaceful and democratic manner is a false statement for democratic consumption, because it says at the same time that the region does not know the transition of power by peaceful and democratic methods! This leaves nothing, then, but the path of military coups, which the United States has long implemented to bring its agents to power...!
Furthermore, the statement indicates that America is satisfied with what happened and implicitly supports it. However, it cannot openly support the coup plotters because of its pretension toward democracy and peaceful means, and it is well known that these matters have no value to it unless they achieve its interests.
America's satisfaction with the coup and its implicit support for it are confirmed by what was stated by the US State Department spokesman Robert Wood. He mentioned to the American Radio Sawa that "the United States wants Guinea to return immediately to civilian democratic rule. He said that Washington is dissatisfied with the absence of a civilian element in the process of transitioning power in Guinea at this stage. He said that the United States has not yet made a decision regarding the coup in Guinea and is consulting with its allies in an effort to take a coordinated position" (Al-Moheet page, 25/12/2008). The words of this official American spokesman indicate that America is not against the coup and implicitly supports it, because he said America is dissatisfied with the absence of a civilian element in the power transition process and did not say it was dissatisfied with the coup. Also, his saying that his country has not yet made a decision means its approval of the coup, but it is waiting for the appropriate time to announce it explicitly. If the coup were not in its favor, it would have raised an uproar against the coup plotters, as it does with many coups that do not suit its interests. Added to this is that the United States has requested elections to be held in May (Al Jazeera, 26/12/2008), which shows implicit American support for the coup.
4- As for Britain, a BBC commentary on 24/12/2008, while reporting the news, stated: "The division (in the Guinean army) may have dire consequences given the ethnic divisions in the army and the country." The radio added: "The divisions will affect neighboring countries from Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ivory Coast." It also added: "Observers also confirm that there are fears that these developments in Guinea will affect the situation in West Africa, where neighboring countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast have recently enjoyed relative stability after years of conflict." It also alluded to the leader of the coup, reporting that his colleagues said of him "that he was not a brilliant student." This indicates that the British are not satisfied with the coup and realize that it is not in their interest, and that a change will occur in the region, and that this change is not in favor of European influence; otherwise, they would not have said the coup would have dire consequences and would affect neighboring countries...
5- Late on Wednesday night, 24/12/2008, the rebel leader Moussa Camara declared himself president of the country, saying: "I am convinced, and I want to emphasize that I am the President of the Republic and head of the National Council for Democracy and Development." Prime Minister Ahmed Tidiane Souaré responded to him with a statement to Radio France Internationale, saying that his government still exists and will remain so during the transitional period (Al Jazeera, 25/12/2008). The same source mentioned that the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Diarra Camara, sought to dialogue with the rebels to convince them to adhere to constitutional rules, which stipulate that the Speaker of the National Assembly (Parliament) becomes the interim president of the country. This indicates that there are two different or conflicting parties: one composed of military personnel led by Moussa Camara, and the other led by the head of the armed forces along with the government and parliament. The leader of the coup plotters hurried to declare himself President of the Republic to consolidate his authority and prevent anyone else from declaring himself President of the Republic, such as the head of the armed forces, for example, and to prevent the appointment of the Speaker of Parliament as interim president. It is worth noting that the deceased President Lansana Conté seized power in a military coup in 1984, one week after the death of the previous President, Ahmed Sékou Touré.
6- From all the above, it becomes clear: That what happened falls within an international struggle between America on one side, and Europe ("France and Britain"), particularly France, on the other. The United States is behind the coup plotters and supports them, while France and Britain are against the coup, as their influence in West Africa will be threatened if America succeeds in Guinea-Conakry.
7- This is regarding what happened being within the circle of international conflict. As for the surrender of the Prime Minister to the leader of the coup plotters after being against him, the reality of the matter is as follows:
a- Yes, Prime Minister Ahmed Tidiane Souaré, along with 30 ministers, surrendered to the coup plotters and declared his loyalty to their leader, saying to him: "We thank you and place ourselves at your disposal" (Al Jazeera, 26/12/2008). He praised him, describing him as wise (CNN, 26/12/2008). Prime Minister Ahmed Souaré had initially opposed the coup plotters. The Commander of the Armed Forces, Diarra Camara, supported the Prime Minister and considered him the current representative of the country, asking the rebels to surrender. The fact that the Prime Minister surrendered indicates that the coup plotters have succeeded in taking control of matters.
b- From another perspective, it indicates that France and Britain realized that the coup had succeeded or nearly so, and that opposing it would be of no use. They preferred to accept crumbs from America in exchange for instructing the Prime Minister and the army commander to surrender to the coup plotters, as if France and Britain had obtained from America the preservation of some of their interests in Guinea while America's interests remained at the forefront in that country. This is how the surrender took place.
8- It is well known that Bush, in his last visit in February of this year, visited five countries in Africa, some of which are in West Africa. This indicates that America gives priority to West Africa in an attempt to extend its influence across all African countries, from west to east and from north to south. We recall Bush's statement before moving there, where he said: "Africa is extremely important for American strategy, and the African situation has a direct impact on American security itself" (People's Daily of China, 25/2/2008). Thus, he made Africa a vital issue for the United States, stating that it directly affects America's security! It is as if he wants to make the southeastern Atlantic coast, i.e., West Africa and beyond to the east, an internal American matter specific to America, similar to the Monroe Doctrine, which made the western Atlantic coast a vital issue for the United States, such that any transgression against it is a direct transgression against the United States. Bush's position is like Monroe's position against his allies, the European colonialist enemies.
Africa's wealth is enormous, including oil, as it has large oil reserves that make the mouths of the elder brother of the Western colonialists water! It was stated in the Al-Ahram International report on 16/6/2007 that the US National Intelligence Council expects the Guinean coast to supply the United States with about 24-25% of its total oil imports by 2020. The Center for International Policy in Africa also expects that Guinea coast oil profits will reach a trillion dollars by 2020 if the price of a barrel remains above $50. Guinea is the world's largest exporter of the raw material "bauxite," from which aluminum is made. Its location is strategic on the Atlantic Ocean, so transporting energy from there to America would be faster and safer than from the Middle East, which is threatened by falling into the hands of its Muslim people away from the hands of America and the colonialist West, and at a low cost since the distance is relatively close to America. It is a candidate for transporting the oil of many African countries in the future from its gulf if America controls the region.