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History of Guinea

History of Guinea

Guinea belonged to a series of empires until France colonized it in the 1890s, and made it part of French West Africa. Guinea declared its independence from France on 2 October 1958. Since its independence, Guinea has had autocratic rulers who have made Guinea one of the poorest countries.
Monument to commemorate the 1970 military victory over the Mercenaries invasion

Governments since independence

Politics of Guinea

Ahmed Sékou Touré became President upon Guinea's independence. By violent repression, he ruled until 26 March 1984, when he died unexpectedly. By a quick coup d'état, Lansana Conté became the President after Touré. By despotic means, Conté clung to power until his death in 2008. Despite extraordinary aluminium rich ressources, he was unable to improve the desperate economic plight into which Touré had plunged the country.

On 23 December 2008, Moussa Dadis Camara seized control of Guinea as the head of a junta. On 28 September 2009, the junta ordered its soldiers to attack people who had gathered to protest any attempt by Camara to become President. The soldiers went on a rampage of rape, mutilation, and murder.

On 3 December 2009, an aide shot Camara during a dispute about the rampage of September 2009. Camara went to Morocco for medical care. Vice-President (and defense minister) Sékouba Konaté flew back from Lebanon to run the country in Camara's absence.

On January 12, 2010 Camara was flown from Morocco to Burkina Faso. After meeting in Ouagadougou on January 13 and 14, Camara, Konaté and Blaise Compaoré, President of Burkina Faso, produced a formal statement of twelve principles promising a return of Guinea to civilian rule within six months. It was agreed that the military would not contest the forthcoming elections, and Camara would continue his convalescence outside Guinea. On 21 January 2010 the military junta appointed Jean-Marie Doré as Prime Minister of a six-month transition government, leading up to elections.

The presidential election will be held on 27 June and 18 July 2010.