A Guinean army colonel on Sunday announced on state television that President Alpha Conde’s government had been toppled hours after heavy gunfire was heard near the presidential palace in Conakry, the capital.
Mamadi Doumbouya, who is the head of Guinea’s special forces, said the president was in custody.
The colonel accused Conde’s government of “trampling of the rights of citizens” and disrespecting “democratic principles”.
In a viral video, Conde was seen being asked by one of the soldiers if he had been brutalised but the president did not respond.
“The personalisation of political life is over. We will no longer entrust politics to one man, we will entrust it to the people,” Doumbouya said.
The colonel added that the land borders had been closed and the constitution dissolved.
Condé was re-elected for a third term in office amid violent protests in October 2020.
The president won the controversial election after changing the constitution to allow him to serve another term in office despite violent protests from the opposition.
Conde’s decision to run for a third term had sparked repeated protests that resulted in the deaths of dozens of people.
