Heavy shooting, troops in the streets reported in Conakry, capital of Guinea
At least two people were injured when an intense shooting broke out near the presidential palace in the Guinean capital Conakry on Sunday morning as military vehicles patrolled the streets, witnesses said and showed videos shared on social media.
It was unclear who was exchanging fire.
A senior government official said 83-year-old President Alpha Conde was unharmed, but did not elaborate.
A military source said the shooting involved angry members of the special forces, an elite body of the army. The source did not say what caused the anger.
Another military source said that the only bridge connecting the mainland with the Kaloum neighborhood, which houses most of the ministries and the presidential palace, had been sealed off and many soldiers, some heavily armed, were stationed around the palace.
Three witnesses told Reuters they saw two civilians with gunshot wounds.
“I see groups of soldiers heading towards the presidency. There have been a lot of gunfire,” said Ousmane Camara, a resident of Kaloum.
A Reuters reporter saw two convoys of armored vehicles and vans heading towards the autonomous port of Conakry, also near the palace. The convoy was accompanied by a white vehicle that appeared to be an ambulance.
Conde won a controversial third term in October after changing the constitution to allow him to get back on his feet despite violent opposition protests, raising concerns about a setback in a region that has suffered coups in Mali and Chad. in recent months. Images shared on social media, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed heavy gunfire at Conakry and vehicles full of soldiers approaching the central bank near the palace.
“President Alpha Conde is doing very well … the situation is under control,” said an ally of the president in a video shared by WhatsApp.
Guinea has seen sustained economic growth during the Earl’s decade in power thanks to its wealth in bauxite, iron ore, gold and diamonds, but few of its citizens have seen the benefits.
Critics say the government has used restrictive criminal laws to discourage dissent, while ethnic divisions and endemic corruption have sharpened political rivalries.
(REUTERS)
