Opposition alliance says military takeover of Guinea not a coup

The Coalition for the Restoration of Democracy (CORED), which unites 18 opposition parties in Guinea, said on Monday that the military takeover of the country is not a coup, as the ousted president had previously changed the basic law in an "unconstitutional manner."

On Sunday, a group of Guinean military led by Mamady Doumbouya, the head of the army's Special Forces Group, stormed the presidential palace and detained President Alpha Conde. Later on, Doumbouya declared the parliament dissolved and the constitution void, imposing a nationwide curfew.

"The corrections that were made on September 5 should not be considered a coup d'etat in the classical sense,'" CORED said in a statement, published on the Media Guinee website.

The opposition went on to say that the rebels were bringing new prospects to Guinea but also urged them to respect the detained president's physical and moral integrity.

Conde, 83, has been ruling the country since 2010. In March 2020, the referendum adopted constitutional amendments allowing Conde to remain in office for two more terms. The opposition boycotted the referendum, with over 40 people killed in rallies against the constitutional amendments. In July, a bill was issued increasing Conde's salary, which also sparked public outcry amid the general poverty in Guinea. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )

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