Guinean opposition leader supports coup against President Alpha Condé

The main Guinean opposition leader on Sunday welcomed the overthrow of President Alpha Condé, calling it an opportunity for a new start for the country.

Cellou Dalein Diallo said the army had done “a historic act that ends the fight” started by pro-democracy groups.

He urged the army to ensure national reconciliation.

The UN, the African Union and the regional body Ecowas condemned the coup, saying that constitutional order should be restored.

They also demanded the release of President Condé, who was last seen surrounded by army special forces on Sunday.

Coup leader Colonel Mamady Doumbouya told reporters on Monday that the ousted leader was in their custody and was safe.

Normalcy returned to the capital, Conakry, on Tuesday after the unrest following Sunday’s coup, journalist Ali Hassan Salleh told the BBC’s Focus on Africa program.

He added that residents of opposition zones also welcomed the dismantling of security checkpoints set up by Mr. Condé’s administration to crack down on demonstrations against him.

Mr Diallo was the president’s main challenger in last year’s elections, which saw Mr Condé run for a controversial third term.

The ousted leader was initially elected in 2010 during the country’s first democratic handover.

Despite overseeing some economic progress, he has since been accused of presiding over numerous human rights violations and harassment of his critics.

In a statement released Monday, Mr. Diallo, former Prime Minister of Guinea, called the coup “a victory for our people and a failure of the dictatorial regime”.

He said the takeover “completes” the work of his National Alliance for Democratic Alternation party and other pro-democracy groups.

The opposition leader said he would support the coup plotters in their fight against corruption and impunity, urging them to work together to “build a peaceful democracy in our country”.

The coup was widely hailed by Guineans, with hundreds of residents of the capital Conakry cheering on the soldiers after it was confirmed that they had ousted Mr. Condé’s.

— BBC