Displaying items by tag: Guinea

On September 6th soldiers seized power, dissolved the government and detained Guinea’s President Conde. Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, a former French legionnaire, and his army want a transitional government and a new constitution. He announced on TV that all land and air borders are shut, the government is dissolved and ‘Guinea no longer entrusts politics to one man, we will entrust it to the people.’ Conde's popularity plummeted after he changed the constitution so that he could stand again. This caused protests killing dozens. Doumbouya released 80+ political prisoners who had campaigned against the constitutional change and met the heads of Guinea’s various military branches to unify the armed forces under his command. West Africa’s regional bloc (ECOWAS) suspended Guinea’s membership on 7th September and sent a high-level mission to Guinea on the 9th to re-examine its position. ECOWAS was criticised by activists for remaining silent about Conde’s third-term bid.

The ministry of health declared an Ebola epidemic in the N’Zerekore region of Guinea on 14 February, following seven confirmed cases and three deaths. US government agencies are closely monitoring the epidemic, and coordinating with the Guinea government, the World Health Organisation, and other partners to provide rapid, localised outbreak control. This outbreak follows a declaration of an outbreak on 7 February by the DRC’s minister of health. The previous West African outbreak in 2014-16 killed over 11,300. The source of infection is under investigation. It is important to monitor one’s health for 21 days after travelling to an area experiencing an Ebola outbreak.

Every October, Window International Network intensifies prayer for the 10/40 Window, and profiles a different country each day. On 6 October the focus is on the peaceful country of Guinea where people live on less than $1 a day, despite the country’s wealthy resources. At least half a million Guineans protested against government corruption last year, denouncing supposed economic mismanagement by their president. Ethnic tensions increased, with the country divided along equal-sized tribal lines. Hundreds of thousands of refugees from Liberia and Sierra Leone have added to the strain. Low incomes and a poor economy create a challenge for those seeking help from a poorly-equipped health care system. Christians are not persecuted in this mainly Muslim country, but believers are starting to lose the religious freedom they once had, especially in major cities. Also, pray for a Godly transformation of the media and entertainment industries, which are highly influential but lack wholesome messages.