Lansana Conté

Lansana Conté (born in 1934) is president of the République of Guinea since 1984. It is ethnos group soussou.

One week after the death of the president Ahmed Sékou Touré (first president of the Guinea), Conté reaches the capacity by a coup d'etat the April 3rd 1984. Attempts to reverse it fail in 1985 and 1986.

Vis-a-vis the rise of the dissatisfaction with the civil population, Conté is joined the democratic vagueness of reform which touches the Africa with the beginning of the year 1990 and organizes a multi-party presidential election in 1993. It gains it with 51,7 % of the voices.

A mutiny bursts February 2nd and 3rd 1996 and Conté personally deals with the wallet of Minister for National defense.

Little by little, Conté joins again with the practices authoritative and introduced a constitutional modification enabling him to be maintained with the capacity with life, validated by a Référendum that the international observers regard as faked.

In December 2003, the Head of the State, however seriously sick, is re-elected with 95,6 % of the votes vis-a-vis a single candidate development, other opponents having preferred not to take part in a poll played in advance.

The January 19th 2005, Conté is victim of an attempted murder whereas its procession returns from the airport of Conakry. The President, who was not wounded, states that “God had not decided yet that it was time that he dies”. He also condemns those which seek to harm the development of the Guinea.

The many general strikes and their repression during first half of the year of 2006 weaken even more the Guinean president. In same time, its health condition worsens and it goes several times in Suisse to be made hospitalize. The diagnosis is not made public but the African press evokes a diabetes and a Leucémie (about other sources also speak about a Gangrène).

In October 2006, Lansana Conté announces that it intends to preserve its president's function until the end of its third septennate, in 2010. He also declares: “If God wants it, I would like to find somebody like me or more, which has scale, patriot, to direct Guinea. (...) My ambition is to find somebody who likes Guinea and which will protect it from its enemies. ”

In spite of its health condition and the general strike, started on January 10th, 2007, Conté clings to the capacity. At the time of a meeting with trade union officials, on Friday, January 19, he says to them: “I will kill you all, as long as you are. I am soldier, I already killed out of people.”. The January 17th, it announces the dismissal of Fodé Bangoura, minister of state with the presidential Businesses and number two of the mode. Wednesday January 24th 2007, whereas the general strike always lasts and that fifty-nine people died of the repression of the police force, Lansana Conté agrees to name a Prime Minister of consensus. The January 26th, it yields at the requests of central trade-unions at the origin of the strike and announces that it will transfer all its prerogatives from chief of the government to the future Prime Minister, whose name was not revealed yet.

Told chooses then Eugene Camara, one of its close relations on February 9th. Dissatisfied with this choice the trade unions and the civil society blaze up. Told yields to the pressure on February 26th and names Lansana Kouyaté at the post of Prime Minister.

April 5th, the Conté general yields the post of minister of the National defense which it held with the general Arafan Ousmane Camara. At the time of its short speech, Conté confirms its health issues: “I am spirit to decrease.” The post of head of State major of the Guinean armies falls to the general Kerfalla Camara.

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