ONLY HOURS after the death of the president of Guinea, Lansana Conte, the military in the country have announced that it has dissolved the government and suspended the constitution.
Catain Moussa Dadis Camara spoke on state radio and told citizens that a “consultive council” comprising a mixture of military leaders and civilians would take the place of the government in due course.
He added: “State institutions are incapable of resolving crises which have been confronting the country.”
The circumstances surrounding the death of the former hard line president have still not been confirmed, however it is believed that he had been suffering from diabetes.
Lansana Conte first took control of the country in West Africa after a bloodless coup in 1984 and had since ruled Guinea with an iron fist.
He was considered by many to be a typical old school African leader, dabbling with democracy yet consistently changing his mind.
Prime Minister Ahmed Souare called for calm and restraint following the death of President Conte and immediately declared 40 days of mourning.
No signs of unrest are apparent in Guinea, however the African Union announced that they would be “keenly monitoring the situation”.
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