DAKAR, 28 September 2009 (IRIN) – Recently a commercial billboard near Guinea’s presidential palace featured three towering question marks on a white background. That image matches the way many Guineans describe their country’s current condition, eight months after Moussa Dadis Camara came to power in a bloodless coup: utter uncertainty.
When Camara took power citizens poured into the streets cheering; Guineans say they were celebrating a rupture with the 24-year regime of Lansana Conté.
“We hate that the military has taken power again,” a Guinean told IRIN the day of the coup. “But we hate it less than we hated the Conté regime.”
Now many Guineans are wondering where the Camara government – which calls itself the National Council for Democracy and Development – is taking the country. Here is a timeline of some events since independence from France in 1958.
28 September 2009 – Guineans take to the streets protesting the candidacy junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara, defying a ban by authorities on a planned rally. Residents say scores killed and injured as military cracked down on demonstrators
22 September 2009 – International contact group on Guinea welcomes a decision by the African Union expressing concern about whether junta members keeping to a commitment not to run in presidential elections; contact group expresses “grave concerns” about delays in the electoral process and the deterioration of the political, human rights and security situation in Guinea
22 September 2009 – Supporters of Moussa Dadis Camara demonstrate in the capital Conakry
19 September 2009 – Leaders of political parties and civil society call for a 28 September rally to protest Camara’s candidacy
17 September 2009 – Peace and Security Council of the African Union threatens sanctions against junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara “and all other individuals, both civilian and military” whose activities run counter to a commitment that no members of the ruling National Council for Development and Democracy would be a presidential candidate. AU expresses “deep concern over the deteriorating situation in Guinea” and “strongly condems the repudiation” of this commitment by Camara
23 August 2009 – Coalition of civil society organizations, unions, political parties, religious groups call on Guineans not to allow junta “to confiscate power”
19 August 2009 – Junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara tells journalists whether he runs for president “is up to God”
17 August 2009 – Ruling National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) accepts recommendation by civil society organizations, political parties, unions and religious groups to hold presidential election in January 2010, legislative election in March 2010