Guinea: Protest in Conakry postponed to October 23 /update 2

Event

Members of the Guinean political opposition have announced that a protest march initially scheduled to take place in the capital Conakry on Thursday, October 18, has been postponed to Tuesday, October 23. The march will take place along the N1 (Fidel Castro) highway from the Tannerie roundabout to the Stade du 28 Septembre (stadium). The announcement comes after a protester was killed during a ville morte protest in Conakry on October 16. A funeral march is expected to take place on October 19, from the Ignace Deen hospital to the Martyrs' cemetery in the Bambeto neighborhood of the capital. A heightened security presence and localized traffic disruptions are to be expected around the October 23 march route. Similar protests are possible in Conakry and other urban areas in the near-term.

Context

The march is being organized to protest the government of President  Condé and denounce massive electoral fraud allegedly committed by the ruling party during local elections held in February. Associated ville morte protests took place October 15-16.

The local elections marked a victory for President Alpha Condé's Rally of the Guinean People (RPG) party, which won the majority of the vote, followed by former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo's Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG) and a second opposition party, the Union of Republican Forces (UFR). Although the RPG dominated nationwide, the party lost control of the municipal government of Conakry, a major blow given that the city is home to almost a quarter of the country's population.

Advice

Individuals in Conakry are advised to monitor developments to the situation, avoid all demonstrations and protests due to the risk of violence, and adhere to any instructions issued by the local authorities and their home governments.