DAKAR— In 2016, Mamady Doumbouya, a commander in
the Guinean army, asked his superiors if he could have ammunition to train his
troops in marksmanship. He never received it, he said, because they feared he
would use the rounds to launch a coup.
اضافة اعلان
Five years on,
Doumbouya did just that.
On Sunday, after hours of gunfire in the capital Conakry,
the 41-year-old appeared in an online video in army fatigues and wrap-around
sunglasses to declare President
Alpha Conde ousted and the government dissolved.
"We call on our brothers in arms to unite in order to
respond to the legitimate aspirations of the people of Guinea," he said on
state television, Guinea's flag draped around his shoulders.
Quoting former Ghana president Jerry Rawlings, who seized
power twice, Doumbouya said: "If the people are crushed by their elites,
it is up to the army to give the people their freedom."
The power of Guinea's institutions, its economy, its
democracy, must be restored, he said. His words may have appealed to a section
of society that has seen none of the wealth from the extraction of the
country's natural resources, and who protested against Conde's run for a third
term in office last year — a move many considered illegal.
Doumbouya's exact motives are not yet clear — security
analysts said he was once a close ally of Conde. The coup has been condemned by
the United States, the United Nations and African regional bodies.
He has not outlined a plan to hold democratic elections or
establish a transitional government as other
coup leaders have done in West and
Central Africa in recent months. On Monday, he barred government officials from travelling and threatened those who did not attend a meeting he summoned them to.
‘I asked for ammunition’
However, a speech given in 2017 to a conference hosted by France's armed forces holds a clue to the character
of the country's unexpected new leader.
"I asked for ammunition last year (2016) ... but never
received it," Doumbouya said in the speech, which was published alongside
others on the website of EMSOME, a section of France's armed forced that
specializes in overseas missions.
"On the other hand, the French who come to provide
training for us will immediately receive everything they need."
The short speech reveals the frustrations of a politicized
soldier who bristled at his lack of power and influence, and what he considered
a paucity of support and respect for Guinea's military.
French and American troops enjoy greater access to the
corridors of power across Africa than domestic forces, he said.
"Our rulers prefer to trust them rather than us, and
consider them to be real advisers, functions we will never achieve."
"Whites hold a power that is unattainable to us,"
he said.
Doumbouya was not reachable for comment on Monday. Army
officials could not be reached to confirm his past request for ammunition.
‘Calm under pressure’
It's become a familiar sight in West and Central Africa in
recent months: A little-known but experienced soldier sits behind a desk and
says he is in charge. Events in Guinea on Sunday follow two takeovers in Mali
since August 2020, and one in Chad in April.
Not much is known about Doumbouya's early life. Local media
reports say he is an ethnic Malinke, like Conde, and comes from the eastern
Kankan Region.
According to a biography circulated by Guinea intelligence
officials on Sunday, he has 15 years of military experience including missions
in Afghanistan, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, and Central African Republic.
He underwent training in Israel, Senegal, and Gabon, and the
War College in Paris. He served in the French Foreign Legion. The French
defense ministry declined to comment citing the "current situation in
Guinea". Spokespeople in the other countries could not immediately confirm
this information.
Doumbouya was appointed head of a special forces unit
created in 2018 to counter the growing threat of militants in the region. The
unit was seen as Guinea's best trained and equipped.
It is unclear so far what kind of support Doumbouya has
across the armed forces. Still, the information provided by officials paints a
rosy picture.
He is "able to identify and defuse risky situations by
remaining calm in the face of a hostile environment and extreme pressure,"
the biography said.
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