02 Aug 2017 | 03:58 PM UTC
Guinea: Protest ongoing in Conakry August 2 /update 1
Significant traffic disruptions amid ongoing opposition protest in Conakry on August 2; avoid all protests
Event
A protest march led by opposition leaders took place in the capital city of Conakry on Wednesday, August 2. The demonstration started at the Cosa intersection in Kaloum at approximately 12:00 (local time),, ending at the Esplanade du 28 Septembre. The march is intended to be nonviolent. Shops reportedly closed during the march and traffic was disrupted at the Cosa intersection, around the Bellevue roundabout, the Hamdallaye roundabout, the Bambeto roundabout, all located along Le Prince road, as well as near the Madina market. Early reports indicate that the march remained nonviolent. Opposition leaders involved in the march were denouncing prevailing corruption, bad governance, insecurity, the high cost of living, as well as disregard for the political agreement signed in 2016 between the opposition and the government.
Meanwhile, media reports on August 2 have indicated that President Alpha Condé's administration has ordered all staff to implement the 2016 agreement in full in order to ease tensions. In light of this this new move, it is unclear whether further opposition protests initially scheduled to take place on August 9 and August 16 will occur or if they will be called off.
Context
The 2016 agreement provided for the revision of the electoral code, the audit of the electoral register, the organization of local elections, as well as compensation for victims of political violence and their families.
Political protests take palce on a regular basis throughout the country. Civil society protest groups, mainly organized by the political opposition, denounce what they claim is a failure of governance by Condé and his party, accusing him of being the cause of the poor economic performance of the country. Demonstrators also protest against corruption, the high cost of living, public health problems, and insecurity. Clashes between anti-government demonstrators and police regularly take place during protests.
Advice
Individuals in Conakry are advised to remain vigilant and avoid all protests.
