Link to article: https://apnews.com/article/africa-business-ghana-togo-west-africa-279bb828c435ee7948112101678fa337
On September 5 Colonel Mamady Doumbouya led a coup and deposed the elected leader of Guinea, President Alpha Conde; returning Guinea to military rule after a decade of democratic leadership. The deposition has come after President Conde faced criticism for running for a third term, stating that term limits do not apply to him, and for dozens of critics of Conde being killed after the October election protests. Colonel Doumbouya claims to have led the coup to be a hero of the poor people in Guinea, however many speculate Doumbouya took power after Conde proposed a cut to military salaries. After establishing power, the junta has also frozen all bank accounts of government officials.
In response to the coup, the African Union and ECOWAS, a West African economic bloc, have suspended Guinea from participation and voting until a democratic government is re-established in Guinea. Also, mediators from several African countries and the ECOWAS have met with new leader Doumbouya to discuss a return to constitutional rule and the release of President Conde and other government officials.
An insecure government and economy even further exacerbated by the coup can cause even more problems in an already impoverished Guinea. However, the changes the Guinean people see will not be that different from the authoritarian governments before Conde. Also, now with Guinea not being a part of ECOWAS this could put even more economical hardship on the country as they lose one of their most important foreign trade partners. It’s evident that this new regime can also prove problematic to countries interested in Guinea’s mineral deposits, like China, a state heavily invested in Guinea’s bauxite reserves. This coup can cause problems for Guinea’s surrounding African neighbors who also face military coups and organizations attempting to take power.
This is clear evidence of the sovereignty of states. Since Guinea is a sovereign state the African Union, a political IGO, and ECOWAS, an economic IGO, are unable to directly re-establish President Conde as the leader of Guinea. However, these organizations can leverage their power to potentially destabilize the military junta by removing them from their organizations. Also, as discussed in class, states may not always have the resources or support to re-establish democratic rule in foreign states when it may be the “moral” thing to do. For example, several other states in the African Union lack the military, political, and economic power to invade Guinea and re-establish Conde. Also, these countries have serious internal issues that take precedence over this international crisis.