The Nigerian Government has condemned the coup d’etat that had taken place in the Republic of Guinea today.
The Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esther Sunsuwa (Mrs) who conveyed Nigeria’s position on the matter in a press statement on Sunday, noted that the act is in clear violation of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
The statement read thus, “The Nigerian Government is saddened by the apparent coup d’état that has taken place in the Republic of Guinea today, in clear violation of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
“The Government of Nigeria strongly condemns and rejects any unconstitutional change of government and therefore calls on those behind this coup to restore constitutional order without delay and protect all lives and property”, it concluded.
NPR reports that a Guinean army colonel seized control of state television Sunday and declared that President Alpha Conde’s government had been dissolved in the West African nation, an announcement that came after hours of heavy gunfire near the presidential palace.
After seizing the airwaves, the mutinous soldiers vowed to restore democracy, closed the country’s borders and gave themselves a name: The National Committee of Gathering and Development.
The president’s reelection in October had prompted violent street demonstrations in which the opposition said dozens were killed.
Conde came to power in 2010 in the country’s first democratic election since independence from France. Many saw his presidency as a fresh start for the country, which has been mired by decades of corrupt, authoritarian rule.
