XINHUA :
International organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as well as some governments condemned the military coup in Guinea on Sunday and called for release of the country’s president.
Earlier on Sunday, heavy gunfire was heard in the urban commune of Kaloum, downtown Conakry, in Guinea, where the Presidential Palace and several ministerial departments are located.
In the afternoon, Guinea’s Defense Ministry said in an official press release that “the Presidential Guard, supported by the defense and security forces, contained the threat and pushed back the group of insurgents.” However, later in the day, Lieutenant-Colonel Mamady Doumbouya announced on national television that his forces have arrested President Alpha Conde, and dissolved the government and national institutions.
The country’s borders were closed and its constitution was declared invalid in the announcement. A video posted on social media showed that Conde was surrounded by a group of armed soldiers, but the capturing time and place of the video remain unclear.
In a statement, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price also condemned the seizure of power by the military in Guinea, urging all parties to avoid violence and engage in dialogue.
