Recent Guinea News

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Since we’ve been in Bamako, there has been some progress in Guinea. Both sides agreed to the following setup: Conte would remain President, but a new Prime Minister would be appointed as head of the government. The President then becomes a figurehead with no political power. Union leaders would draw up a list of three to five candidates for Prime Minister, and President Conte would appoint one from this list. All of the other government ministers would be replaced. Their replacements must be people who have never held a position with the current regime and who are not leaders of political parties. Once this new government setup is function, the government and the unions will discuss other demands regarding salaries, cost of living, etc.

For now, the President has signed an agreement regarding this setup, and the unions have suspended the strike. Guineans went back to work on Monday and things have calmed down. Unions plan to strike again if the government fails to keep their promises.

Peace Corps will be waiting in Bamako to see if things remain calm. We are likely to remain here for at least another week, but the situation looks promising and I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to return to Guinea soon.

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