POWERED BY
Guinea Coup Leader Is A Former French Foreign Legionnaire
Published 3 years ago
A military coup is unfolding in Africa's western coastal nation of Guinea, and the leader of that coup is the commander of Guinea's special forces and also happens to be a former French Foreign Legionnaire.
Over the weekend, gunfire erupted in Guineas capital city of Conakry. Initially, local reports indicated that the mutiny had been stifled and two dozen rogue soldiers had been arrested. However, hours later, photos and videos appeared showing special forces Col. Doumbouya and his followers holding President Alpha Conde at gunpoint. The coup was successful.
Col. Doumbouya ordered closure of the borders and ports, dissolved the constitution and government, and also ordered the overthrown government officials to not leave the country. Leading up to the coup, tensions were high as President Conde rewrote the constitution to allow himself a third term. The population is upset that although Guinea exports valuable minerals, little of that money is reinvested into infrastructure and the people remain in poverty.
"We will no longer entrust politics to one man. We will entrust it to the people," Doumbouya said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the coup along with the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
While most of us would have to play "Where's Waldo" on a map to find Guinea and may be asking ourselves "so what?" Guinea is home to some of the largest iron-ore and bauxite (aluminum) deposits in the world, and the coup has already created a 10-year-high price spike on market prices across the globe. Add that with the already underway material shortages and we could be seeing massive price increases in the auto market and just about everywhere else.
It remains to be seen what military stance the UN will be taking the matter.
No One Left Behind is the first and premier national non-profit dedicated exclusively to standing with our wartime allies (those applying for or who have received a Special Immigrant Visa).
