International Envoy Urges Guinean Government to Free Diallo

Diallo
Diallo

Members of the United Nations, African Union, and ECOWAS held a meeting on Tuesday where they urged the Guinean authorities to free Diallo. They demanded the government of Guinea to immediately lift the barricade off Cellou Dalein Diallo’s home. Police have held Diallo captive in his house after he triggered the post-election clashes. This incident happened when Diallo declared himself the winner before the electoral commission released the official results.

 

The Elections

It was on Sunday, 18th October 2020 when Guineans cast their votes for the first phase of Presidential elections. According to observers from the international envoy, the elections were free and fair. The polling stations were peaceful and heavily guarded. Hence there was no room for fraud or breaches.

 

However, later Cellou Diallo, who is the main opposition leader to President Alpha Conde, declared himself the winner of round one Presidential elections. The spokesperson of his party told the media they had counted their votes and Diallo was leading with over 50% votes.

 

This news triggered mixed reactions among Diallo supporters who flooded the streets celebrating their victory in excitement. Diallo urged his supporter to desist from fear and defend their title. He promised the people that he would stand by them until they successfully transitioned their government.

 

The incumbent President, Alpha Conde, has ruled Guinea for two presidential terms. Amid his reign, some civilians have endorsed his resignation and opted for the opposition. Nonetheless, he amended the constitution, which as of now works in his favor. Since he changed the constitution, he was able to vie for a third term and might even extend his reign for as long as he pleases.

 

Official Results

On Wednesday, the electoral commission declared Diallo’s victory premature and void. Events turned sour when the police inspector deployed the authorities to halt Diallo’s supporters from celebrating. Tensions escalated when police started throwing teargas canisters at demonstrators who were busy burning tires and barricading roads.

 

Meanwhile, according to Kabinet Cisse, the chief of the Electoral Commission, Conde had defeated Diallo with a massive range. Out of 38 polling stations, Conde was leading with over 50% in four of them. Therefore, he was the leading candidate for the round one presidential election.

 

The results triggered controversies from Diallo supporters and party members. Fode Oussou Fofana, Diallo’s campaign director, alleged that the votes they gathered from individual polling stations confirmed their victory. He accused President Alpha Conde of manipulating the results of the election in his favor.

 

Nonetheless, the United Nations, African Union, and ECOWAS condemned Diallo for declaring himself the victor. They stated that the release was premature and regrettable. The government of Guinea believes that Diallo intended to make the people question the credibility of the electoral commissions. As such, he played a role in inciting the people to protest.

 

Lower Tensions

According to the state government, 21 people succumbed amid the unrest. However, the opposition reported that up to 27 people had died. On 25th October, representatives from the international envoy visited Guinea to meditate over the situation. They demanded the government of Guinea to conduct investigations and punish the perpetrators responsible for the atrocities.

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