Guinea junta talks hit impasse as junta pulls out

AFRICA NEWS

US reaching out to interim Guinean leader
Washington (AFP) Dec 9, 2009 - Washington sees a chance to steer Guinea back to civilian rule by "reaching out" to its defense minister Sekouba Konate while he stands in for the wounded junta leader, a US official said Wednesday. US diplomats are testing the waters as Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, the junta chief in the west African country, receives medical treatment in Morocco after he was wounded in an assassination bid last week, the official said. "We are reaching out to the defense minister who has been designated as leading the junta as a caretaker," a State Department official told AFP on the condition of anonymity. The official said William Fitzgerald, the deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs, and diplomats at the US embassy in Conakry are involved in the overture to Konate. "It is uncertain as to Camara's condition, as to whether he will be returning or when he will be returning, but in the meantime we are reaching out and attempting to communicate with Konate," the official said. The United States wants to "ensure he understands our position that we believe that the best course of action is a prompt return to civilian rule in a transition government that will lead to democratic, constitutional, transparent elections," the official said.

"Whether or not he (Konate) will follow through on that remains to be seen," the official said. "We believe that there may be a possibility that progress can be made with him if Camara does not return." Fitzgerald is "on his way to" a weekend meeting in Burkina Faso of the so-called Contact Group on Guinea, made up of countries with an interest in stability in Conakry, the State Department official said. But Guinea's military rulers have decided to suspend their participation in the talks in Ouagadougou until Camara returns to work. Camara's spokesman said Tuesday his condition had improved and he will return soon, after he was shot by an aide and operated on in Morocco for a head wound. Camara came to power in a bloodless coup on December 23 last year after the death of dictator Lansana Conte, who had led the country since 1984. After an initial period of optimism, the mood turned sour in the mineral rich country and tensions have been running high since junta soldiers massacred scores of opposition supporters at a Conakry stadium rally on September 28. Guinean human rights bodies and the United Nations say that at least 150 people died and more than 1,200 were wounded when troops opened fire on the crowd in the stadium. The junta says 56 people were killed. The attempt on Camara's life came as a UN panel began investigating the massacre.

by Staff Writers
Conakry (AFP) Dec 9, 2009
Talks between Guinea's junta and the opposition are stalled after the military leadership said it would pull out until its leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara recovers from an assassination bid.

The junta announced late Tuesday that it was suspending talks in Ouagadougou with mediator Blaise Compaore, Burkina Faso's president, until Camara returns to work.

He is in Morocco for medical treatment after being shot in what the junta have called an attempted coup on December 3.

On Wednesday the opposition called on the international community to force a resumption of talks.

"The junta cannot use the poor health of its leader to stay in power indefinitely," said Mamadou Bah Baadiko, leader of the Union of Democratic Forces (UFD).

"It is up to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to take steps to move the situation forward and to force the junta back to the negotiating table," Baadiko said.

Guinean unions on Wednesday increased the pressure on the junta, calling on the military to relinquish power and launching an appeal to the international community to press for a transition government in the country.

A group of eight unions and the country's employers association said that international treaties signed by Guinea mean "the army must play its republican role and withdraw from the administration and political life".

The United States meanwhile said it saw a chance to steer Guinea back to civilian rule by "reaching out" to its defence minister Sekouba Konate while he stands in for Camara.

"We are reaching out to the defence minister who has been designated as leading the junta as a caretaker," a State Department official told AFP on the condition of anonymity.

Camara was wounded last week when his aide de camp, Aboubacar Sidiki Diakite, allegedly shot him in what a junta spokesman said was a bid to seize power.

After the shooting the junta leader was flown to a hospital in Morocco where he underwent an operation.

His spokesman said that he is recovering and will soon return to Guinea, but many in the west African country are wondering what the real after-effects of the head wound are.

Camara has given frequent speeches and television appearances since seizing power last December after the death of long-time dictator Lansana Conte, but has not been seen or heard since the shooting.

Opposition leader Baadiko says the junta's upbeat messages about Camara's health are "lies", accusing the junta of changing its story about what medical procedure's the military leader had undergone in Morocco.

After an initial period of optimism when the junta pledged to crack down on corruption and restore democracy after elections, the mood turned sour in the mineral-rich country.

Tensions have been running high since junta soldiers massacred scores of opposition supporters at a Conakry stadium rally on September 28.

Guinean human rights bodies and the United Nations say that at least 150 people died and more than 1,200 were wounded when troops opened fire on the crowd in the stadium. The junta says 56 people were killed.

The attempt on Camara's life came as a UN panel began investigating the massacre.

According to some witnesses, Camara's shooting was prompted by an argument with Diakite over the junta leader's plans to denounce him as a key figure in the stadium killings.

A manhunt is on for Diakite who is still on the run. The junta's minister and permanent secretary Moussa Keita said Wednesday that around 100 soldiers had been arrested over the murder bid.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us Digg Reddit

YahooMyWeb Google Facebook

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

AFRICA NEWS

Developing nations furious over Danish climate text
Copenhagen (AFP) Dec 9, 2009
A leaked Danish proposal triggered outrage at Copenhagen climate talks, with developing nations condemning a draft deal that they argued would consign most of the world's poor to permanent penury. The "draft political agreement" circulated informally by the host government exposed the deep faultlines besetting a 192-nation conference aimed at averting the potential planetary catastrophe o ... read more

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement