Guinea’s deputy junta chief pledged Wednesday to pave the way for a return to civilian rule, more than a year after the military took power in a bloodless coup. Guinea has been in a state of limbo since the leader of the military junta, Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara, was wounded in an assassination attempt by a former aide last month. He has not been seen in public for over a month since being flown to Morocco for treatment. The comments by his deputy, Sékouba Konaté, offered a possible way out of the deepening political crisis in the West African nation, the world’s top exporter of the aluminum ore bauxite. “We need to act to restore peace and the unity of all Guineans, and to put our state and political system on a new foundation,” said Mr. Konaté, promising to accept a prime minister drawn from the opposition as part of a national unity government.
Captain Camara, who took power in December 2008 after the death of President Lansana Conté, became the subject of international outrage and sanctions after security forces killed more than 150 people and raped scores of women protesting in a Conakry stadium in September.
Mr. Konaté, a professional soldier with no known ambitions for a front-line political role, visited Captain Camara in the hospital this week and held talks with American and French diplomats who urged him to allow a return to civilian rule in Captain Camara’s absence. He said Wednesday that he expected a transitional government to choose a new election date after a poll — initially set for this month — was delayed by the crisis. While it was unclear if Mr. Konaté would replace Captain Camara in any transitional government, he said he would not cling to power. An opposition leader welcomed Mr. Konaté’s announcement but said the success of the transitional government would depend on the powers given to the prime minister.
Source: New York Times
New York Times report for Guinea can be found here.
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