CIAO DATE: 03/2009
March 2009
The latest policy briefing from the International Crisis Group says the junta that took control on 23 December 2008 hours after the long-time, authoritarian President Lansana Conté died, is in danger of resorting to repressive measures of its own, as its popular support dives along with the economy. Since there is also a risk of a counter-coup from dissatisfied army elements, a democratic transition at best faces a long and difficult road.
Conté left a legacy of abusive security forces, a collapsed economy and a lack of trust among a divided civil society and quarrelsome political parties. Many people, fearing open civil strife, welcomed the junta as a least-worst option. It has spent more than two months consolidating its grip on power by replacing dozens of administrators with its own supporters.
Resource link: Guinea: The Transition Has Only Just Begun [PDF] - 2.9M