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GUINEA: Soldiers Riot

GUINEA: Soldiers Riot Despite sacking his Defence Minister and army chiefs, the President fails to control troops. Government officials say they might not be able to keep promises made mid‐May by the country's President Lansana Conte to mutinous soldiers who had been looting towns around the country and terrorising civilians. “Getting the money to keep the promises is our primary preoccupation for the stability of the country,” a senior government official, who was not authorised to speak on the record, said on May 18th. “We are all asking how we can quickly find salaries for these soldiers.” The soldiers only agreed to return to their barracks after a two‐week uprising when President Lansana Conte sacked unpopular senior officers and promised to promote thousands of ordinary troops. He also promised the government would provide new uniforms, and said it would address salary arrears going back 11 years. Conte, a former military officer himself, acknowledged the soldiers’ claim that the government owes some 311bn Guinean francs (US$91.6 m). The army was seen as central to Conte's withstanding weeks of nationwide demonstrations earlier in the year by ordinary Guineans calling for an end to his 24‐year rule. The government's new financial burden comes at http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series Wiley

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Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 2007 Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company
ISSN
0001-9844
eISSN
1467-825X
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-825X.2007.01028.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Despite sacking his Defence Minister and army chiefs, the President fails to control troops. Government officials say they might not be able to keep promises made mid‐May by the country's President Lansana Conte to mutinous soldiers who had been looting towns around the country and terrorising civilians. “Getting the money to keep the promises is our primary preoccupation for the stability of the country,” a senior government official, who was not authorised to speak on the record, said on May 18th. “We are all asking how we can quickly find salaries for these soldiers.” The soldiers only agreed to return to their barracks after a two‐week uprising when President Lansana Conte sacked unpopular senior officers and promised to promote thousands of ordinary troops. He also promised the government would provide new uniforms, and said it would address salary arrears going back 11 years. Conte, a former military officer himself, acknowledged the soldiers’ claim that the government owes some 311bn Guinean francs (US$91.6 m). The army was seen as central to Conte's withstanding weeks of nationwide demonstrations earlier in the year by ordinary Guineans calling for an end to his 24‐year rule. The government's new financial burden comes at

Journal

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural SeriesWiley

Published: Jun 1, 2007

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