Lansana Conté
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| Lansana Conté | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office April 5, 1984 |
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| Preceded by | Louis Lansana Beavogui |
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| Succeeded by | Incumbent |
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| Born | 1934 Moussayah Loumbaya, Dubréka, Guinea |
| Spouse | ? |
Lansana Conté (born 1934) has been the President of Guinea since 3 April 1984. He is a Muslim and a member of the Soussou ethnic group.
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[edit] Early life
Born in Moussayah Loumbaya (Dubréka), Conté was educated at a local Koranic school and attended Dubréka primary school. He then went on to study at military preparatory schools in Bingerville, Côte d'Ivoire and Saint Louis, Senegal.
[edit] Military & government service
In 1955, he enlisted in the French army and was posted to Algeria during the war of independence in 1957. After his service in the French Army, Conté returned to Guinea, which became independent from France on 2 October 1958, and was integrated into the new army with the rank of sergeant. In 1962, he attended the Camp Alpha officer's school in Conakry. Soon after, he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion artillery-training center in Kindia. On 1 July 1963, he was promoted to Second Lieutenant. This was followed two years later by another promotion from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant. On 22 November 1970, a group of Guinean exiles invaded the country from Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau) in an apparent attempt to overthrow the government of President Ahmed Sékou Touré. Conté participated in operations to defend the capital and government forces soon suppressed the invasion. For his service to the nation, he was promoted to the rank of Captain on 27 February 1971. In 1973, he was named commander of the Boké operational zone (in Northwestern Guinea) to assist the pro-independence guerrilla movement, African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) in neighboring Portuguese Guinea. On 10 May 1975, he was named assistant Chief of Staff of the army.
In 1977, he was head of the Guinean delegation during negotiations that resolved a border dispute with Guinea-Bissau and was elected to the National Assembly in 1980. Later that year, he after took part in the ruling Democratic Party of Guinea's (PDG) official pilgrimage to Mecca.
[edit] The Conté Presidency
[edit] 1984 Coup & Military Rule
President Ahmed Sékou Touré, Guinea's head of state since independence, died on 26 March 1984. Prime Minister Louis Lansana Beavogui acted as interim president. On 3 April, Conté led a military coup that toppled the government.
He denounced the Touré regime's human rights abuses and released 250 political prisoners. He also encouraged the return of approximately 200,000 Guineans from exile.
The country's constitution was immediately suspended after the takeover, along with the National Assembly, and political activity was banned. A 25-member Military Committee for National Recovery (CMRN) was set up and led by Conté, who on 5 April was proclaimed President of the Republic.
On 4 July 1985, Prime Minister Diarra Traoré, a colonel who took part in the 1984 coup, attempted to seize power while Conté was attending an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) summit in Lomé, Togo. Troops loyal to Conté swiftly gained control and approximately 100 military personnel, including Traoré, were later executed for their involvement in the rebellion. On 3 April 1990, Conté was promoted to the rank of Army General.
[edit] Economic & political transition
Conté's economic reforms, including currency devaluation and reduction of government spending met with approval of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and realignment with western nations encouraged foreign investment.
He initiated Guinea's transition to civilian, multiparty rule in the early 1990's. A new constitution was approved in a referendum held on 23 December 1990 and the CMRN was disbanded on 16 January 1991. It was replaced by the Transitional Committee for National Recovery (CTRN), a body composed of civilians and military officials. Political parties were legalized in 1992 in preparation for upcoming elections.
[edit] Civilian rule
The first multiparty presidential election held since independence was conducted on 19 December 1993. Conté, candidate of the newly formed Party of Unity and Progress (PUP), won 51.7% of the vote; Alpha Condé of the Rally of the Guinean People (RPG) was second with 19.6% of the vote. The opposition electoral fraud, especially after the Supreme Court discounted as invalid the results in two prefectures where Condé of the RPG had received a large majority of the vote.
Conté's government narrowly survived a 2 February 1996 coup attempt that stemmed from an army mutiny over payment of salaries. Several dozen civilians were killed and the presidential residence sustained significant damage.
In Guinea's second multiparty presidential election, Conté won another five-year term with 56.1% of the vote. The polls, although an improvement over the troubled 1993 election, were considered flawed by opposition parties and observers. A November 2001 referendum that lifted presidential term limits and would extend the term in office from five to seven years was supported by 98.4% of the voters. The results, however, were rejected by opposition parties who claimed that the outcome was rigged.
He went on to win a third presidential election held on 21 December 2003 with 95.3% of the vote after all but one of the opposing candidates boycotted the race, expressing their belief that Conté would never allow a fair election. Conté has been in declining health in recent years and his ability to survive another full term in office has been doubted.
On January 19, 2005, shots were reportedly fired at his motorcade on its way into Conakry in what was apparently a failed assassination attempt. Conté, who was unharmed, subsequently went on state radio and television to say that he had survived because God had not yet decided it was his time to die. He also condemned those who he said sought to thwart Guinea's development. [1] In April 2006 he was flown to Morocco for medical treatment. Most people expected he would not return, but he did. Then in May 2006 riots in Conakry over the price of rice and fuel led to around twenty deaths as security forces savagely repressed the popular uprising. In August 2006 he was again flown to Switzerland for medical treatment. This time no crowds met him on his return to Guinea. Meanwhile Henriette Conté, the President's first wife, has been accused of flouting the rule of law and taking advantage of the President's physical and mental incapacity to abuse her power.
In August 2006 Human Rights Watch produced a 30-page report condemning human rights abuses in Guinea, highlighting the power vacuum resulting from the President's ongoing illness, and expressing concern about the future.
In an interview with journalists reported by Guinéenews [2], in october 2006, Lansana Conté said that he intends to stay as President until 2010, which is the end of his 7 years term. Conté also said that he is looking for a replacement who "loves the country and will protect it against its enemies."
In November 2006 Transparency International updated its annual corruption index. Guinea under Lansana Conte is now 2nd equal as the most corrupt country in the world (pride of place for corruption going to Haiti). This is a matter of concern for foreign firms intending to invest in Guinea (for example to exploit its extensive bauxite reserves) as they are unable to operate in Guinea without paying huge bribes to highly placed government officials, but if caught doing so they may face legal action in their country of origin.
| Preceded by Louis Lansana Beavogui |
President of Guinea 1984–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Presidents of Guinea |  |
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| Ahmed Sékou Touré • Louis Lansana Beavogui (interim) • Lansana Conté |
