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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Military seizes power in Guinea |
| 2008-12-23 |
| Guinea's army has announced it has dissolved the country's government and suspended the constitution, hours after the death of President Lansana Conte. An army captain said on state radio a "consultative council" of civilian and military leaders would be set up. The African Union has condemned the move. All ministers and other top officials have been summoned to the main military camp "to guarantee their security". Mr Conte had ruled the West African country with an iron fist since 1984. The precise circumstances of the president's death are not yet known, but he had been suffering from diabetes. BBC West Africa correspondent Will Ross says it is important to see whether the army is united on the way forward for Guinea, as a power struggle could be extremely dangerous given the deep ethnic divisions there. |
| Posted by:john frum |