2007 Guinean general strike
| 2007 Guinean general strike | |
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| Date | January 10, 2007 - February 27, 2007 |
The 2007 Guinean general strike began on January 10, 2007.
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 Guinea portal |
The strike ended on January 27 with an agreement between Conté and the unions, according to which Conté would appoint a new prime minister; however, Conté's choice of Eugène Camara as prime minister was deemed unacceptable by the unions, and the strike resumed on February 12. Martial law was imposed on the same day. Nearly two weeks later, Conté agreed to choose a prime minister acceptable to the unions, and on February 26 he named Lansana Kouyaté as prime minister. The strike ended on February 27, and Kouyaté was sworn in on March 1.
Background
Two
January events
A general strike was called by the
Police were ordered to disperse crowds of protesters, numbering as many as 5,000, with
On January 23, the three most prominent trade unionists were arrested by Presidential troops:
On January 24, Conté met with union leaders, members of Guinea's Supreme Court and religious leaders. Conté is said to have agreed to appoint a new prime minister to end the strike, but strike leaders vowed to continue until all their demands would be met,[8] which include the resignation of Conté.[9] He later conceded to reform the country's political system into a semi-presidential one, which had been the unions' compromise demand.[10] Union leaders stated that there were still more issues to be resolved, but that they were hopeful they could come to an agreement.[11] Conté also agreed to lower the prices of fuel and rice, and on January 27, Fofana announced the end of the strike.[12]
On January 31, 2007, Conté announced the powers the new prime minister would have: He would be the head of government, be allowed to propose his own team of ministers, organise the country's civil administration and be allowed to represent the president at international meetings. Conté did not yet announce who would become the new prime minister.[13]
Appointment of Eugène Camara
On February 6, 2007, the unions issued an ultimatum, saying that the strike would resume unless Conté appointed a prime minister by February 12.[14] On February 9, Conté nominated Eugène Camara, the minister of state for presidential affairs, as prime minister. Camara is considered a close associate of Conté.[15][16]
Camara's appointment was rejected by the opposition. In the day after his appointment, violence broke out in Conakry and several other parts of the country, and at least eight people were reportedly killed.
In a statement given to BBC on February 11, USTG leader Ibrahima Fofana declared that the unions now demanded the dismissal of the entire government, including the president.[20]
Resumption of strike and martial law
The strike resumed on February 12, with demonstrations across the nation and the military out in force.
A proposal to leave Eugène Camara in office as prime minister for three months as a trial period was rejected by the unions on February 20. On February 22, Conté requested that parliament approve an extension of martial law,[30] but on the next day parliament unanimously rejected the request.[31] Gen. Kerfala Camara then ordered that people resume work on February 26, and that classes resume on March 1. The unions said that the strike would continue.[32] Shortly afterward, however, Conté agreed to appoint a new prime minister from a list of individuals chosen by the unions and representatives of civil society. He chose Lansana Kouyaté as the new prime minister on February 26, and union leaders declared an end to the strike. Following a day of commemoration services for the 110 victims of the struggle, people returned to work on February 27. Opposition spokesperson Mamadou Ba warned that it would be necessary to keep up the pressure on Conté to ensure that he permitted Kouyaté to do his job.[33]
Kouyaté was sworn in as prime minister on March 1; Conté did not attend the ceremony, which was instead presided over by Eugène Camara. School classes resumed on the same day.[34]
Media censorship
During January, strikers were banned from
After martial law was declared on February 12, almost all media ceased to appear. Radio stations including
Fears of civil war
The
On February 20, Conté met with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Sierra Leonean President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah amid concerns about the potential for regional destabilization.[39]
References
- ^ a b c d "Guinea police clash with strikers", BBC News, January 22, 2007.
- ^ a b "Civil society crystallising around unions", The New Humanitarian Africa, January 11, 2007.
- VOA News, January 11, 2007.
- ^ "Guinea police clash with strikers", BBC News, January 15, 2007.
- ^ a b "Guinea anger over dead strikers", BBC News, January 18, 2007.
- ITUC, January 23, 2007.
- ITUC, January 24, 2007.
- ^ "Guinea leader 'cedes key demand'", BBC News, January 25, 2007.
- ^ Bonny Apunyu, "Guinea: Unions want President Lansana to resign" Archived February 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, SomaliNet, January 14, 2007
- ^ Boubacar Diallo, "Guinea's President to Appoint New PM", Associated Press (CBS News), January 27, 2007.
- ^ "Guinea Union Leaders in Talks with President to End Strike", RedBolivia, January 27, 2007
- ^ "Guinean unions end general strike", BBC News, January 28, 2007
- ^ "Guinea prime minister empowered"[permanent dead link], MWC News, January 31, 2007.
- ^ Saliou Samb, "Unions give Guinea leader a tough ultimatum", Reuters (IOL), February 7, 2007.
- ^ "Guinea president names new PM" Archived October 1, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Al Jazeera, February 9, 2007.
- ^ "Guinea : Lansana Conté nominated PM"[permanent dead link], African Press Agency, February 9, 2007.
- ^ "Deadly clashes erupt over Guinea PM" Archived February 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Al Jazeera, February 10, 2007.
- ^ "One dead after Guinea protest", Reuters (IOL), February 10, 2007.
- ^ "Guinean president under pressure to step down" Archived February 17, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, The Peninsula (Qatar), February 12, 2007.
- ^ "Interview de Dr Ibrahima Fofana, Porte-Parole de l'Inter-Centrale"
- ^ "Violence as Guinea strike resumes", BBC News, February 12, 2007.
- ^ "Martial law declared in Guinea" Archived February 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Al Jazeera, February 12, 2007.
- ^ "Martial law imposed in Guinea's capital after deadly protest", Associated Press (USA Today), February 13, 2007.
- ^ "Guinea's curfew partially lifted", BBC News, February 14, 2007.
- ^ "Guinea military: Martial law on till unions stop strike", Associated Press (CNN.com), February 16, 2007.
- ^ "Guinea unions call off talks", Al Jazeera, February 17, 2007.
- ^ "Guinea authorities 'hold hundreds'", Al Jazeera, February 18, 2007.
- Guineenews, February 19, 2007.
- ^ "Guinea religious meet the government and the army staff" Archived March 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Guineenews, February 19, 2007.
- ^ Saliou Samb, "Conte seeks extension of martial law", Reuters (IOL), February 23, 2007.
- ^ "Guinea denies martial law extension", Al Jazeera, February 23, 2007.
- ^ Saliou Samb, "Guinea state rejects prolonging martial law", Reuters (IOL), February 24, 2007.
- ^ "Guineans back to work after deal", BBC News, February 27, 2007.
- ^ "Kouyate takes his oath in Conakry" Archived November 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, AFP (IOL), March 2, 2007.
- ^ "Deaths on Day 10 of Guinea strike", BBC News, January 19, 2007.
- International Freedom of Expression Exchange, February 21, 2007.
- ^ "Guinea lifts curfew but violence persists", AFROL, February 14, 2007
- ^ "What if Guinea was a victim of foreign invisible hands?" Archived February 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Guineenews February 17, 2007
- ^ Saliou Samb, "Nervous presidents gather for talks", Reuters (IOL), February 21, 2007.