2007 Guinean general strike
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Guinean general strike began on January 10, 2007. Guinea
's trade union
s and opposition parties
called on President Lansana Conté
to resign, accusing him of mismanaging the economy and abusing his authority. The strikers also accused Conté of personally securing the release of Mamadou Sylla
and Fode Soumah
, both accused of corruption, from prison. The strike ended on January 27 with an agreement between Conté and the unions, according to which Conté would appoint a new prime minister; however, Conté's choice of Eugène Camara
as prime minister was deemed unacceptable by the unions, and the strike resumed on February 12. Martial law was imposed on the same day. Nearly two weeks later, Conté agreed to choose a prime minister acceptable to the unions, and on February 26 he named Lansana Kouyaté
as prime minister. The strike ended on February 27, and Kouyaté was sworn in on March 1.
s had been held in 2006, but these were limited to Conakry
. The 2007 protests were first visible in Conakry, where workers stayed at home and businesses were shut. The government responded by threatening to sack striking civil servants. Youths took to the streets, despite a ban on rallies
. Action soon spread to the nation's bauxite
mines, where labourers stopped work. On 16 January, Conté offered to cut fuel duty, raise teachers' salaries and address police corruption. This was rejected by union leaders, who were then arrested but soon released.
supported the strike, as did the National Council of Civil Society Organisations group of NGOs and the newly formed Civic Alliance.
Police were ordered to disperse crowds of protesters, numbering as many as 5,000, with tear gas. On 17 January, two deaths from bullet wounds were reported in Conakry, and one in Labé
. At least ten protesters had died by January 21.
The biggest protest was called on January 22, with demonstrations in cities across the nation. In the ensuing battles between police and strikers, at least seventeen workers were killed. In Conakry, a crowd estimated at 30,000 marched on the National Assembly of Guinea
, but were blocked at the 8 November Bridge
, where the police allegedly opened fire.
On January 23, the three most prominent trade unionists were arrested by Presidential troops: Rabiatou Sérah Diallo
of the National Confederation of Guinean Workers, Ibrahima Fofana
of the United Trade Union of Guinean Workers and Yamadou Touré of the National Organization of Free Unions of Guinea. They claimed to have received death threat
s from various sources, including Conté himself. Troops then ransacked the Labour Exchange, headquarters of many of the unions. Fofana and Diallo were both injured, but all arrested unionist were released by the following day.
On January 24, Conté met with union leaders, members of Guinea's Supreme Court and religious leaders. Conté is said to have agreed to appoint a new prime minister to end the strike, but strike leaders vowed to continue until all their demands would be met, which include the resignation of Conté. He later conceded to reform the country's political system into a semi-presidential one, which had been the unions' compromise demand. Union leaders stated that there were still more issues to be resolved, but that they were hopeful they could come to an agreement. Conté
also agreed to lower the prices of fuel and rice, and on January 27, Fofana announced the end of the strike.
On January 31, 2007, Conté announced the powers the new prime minister would have: He would be the head of government, be allowed to propose his own team of ministers, organise the country's civil administration and be allowed to represent the president at international meetings. Conté did not yet announce who would become the new prime minister.
Camara's appointment was rejected by the opposition. In the day after his appointment, violence broke out in Conakry and several other parts of the country, and at least eight people were reportedly killed. At least one person was reportedly killed by security forces when protesters threw rocks at a car in which Conté was said to be travelling. Looting was reported, and a soldier who had shot protesters was reportedly killed and set on fire in Kankan
. Union leader Ibrahim Fofana and opposition leader Ba Mamadou said that Conté must step down.
In a statement given to BBC on February 11, USTG leader Ibrahima Fofana declared that the unions now demanded the dismissal of the entire government, including the president.
on the same day, which he said would remain in effect until February 23. On February 13, with a curfew in force for all but four hours of the day (4 to 8 PM), Conakry was reported to be largely under control, although some gunfire was still heard in the city. Army chief of staff Gen. Kerfala Camara announced late in the same day that the curfew
hours would be changed so that the period from noon to 6 PM would be exempt from curfew. Gen. Camara said on February 16 that martial law would continue until the unions agreed to call off the strike, but the unions have refused to enter talks until martial law is lifted. On February 18, Gen. Camara said that the curfew would be reduced further so that it would cover the period from 6 PM to 6 AM, thus adding six hours to the portion of the day exempt from it, beginning on February 19.. On February 19, negotiation resumed between Government representative and Unions through religious leaders. However, the Union have said they will not participate to current negotiation until the martial law is lifted. On Friday afternoon at the Palais du Peuple, Guineenews
reported that Abdoulaye Bah, the General Secretary of one of the Union (the UTDG) said the meeting has been postponed as they religious leadership is briefing the government and the army about the meeting they had with the Union the day before.
A proposal to leave Eugène Camara in office as prime minister for three months as a trial period was rejected by the unions on February 20. On February 22, Conté requested that parliament approve an extension of martial law, but on the next day parliament unanimously rejected the request. Gen. Kerfala Camara then ordered that people resume work on February 26, and that classes resume on March 1. The unions said that the strike would continue. Shortly afterward, however, Conté agreed to appoint a new prime minister from a list of individuals chosen by the unions and representatives of civil society. He chose Lansana Kouyaté
as the new prime minister on 26 February, and union leaders declared an end to the strike. Following a day of commemoration services for the 110 victims of the struggle, people returned to work on February 27. Opposition spokesperson Mamadou Ba warned that it would be necessary to keep up the pressure on Conté to ensure that he permitted Kouyaté to do his job.
Kouyaté was sworn in as prime minister on March 1; Conté did not attend the ceremony, which was instead presided over by Eugène Camara. School classes resumed on the same day.
and all but one radio station
. Many co-ordinated their activity through SMS messages. Rumours spread that the state-owned network Sotelgui were deliberately blocking texts.
After martial law was declared on 12 February, almost all media ceased to appear. Radio stations including Familia FM and Liberté FM were forcibly closed; the only station permitted to remain on air was music-only Nostalgie FM. Radiodiffusion Télévision Guinéenne restricted its broadcasting to governmental and army statements. All internet cafe
s were ordered to shut, and all four of the nation's Internet Service Provider
s were taken offline. Newspapers were only permitted to publish if their content was approved by military commanders. In the event, most chose not to appear, and many outlets refused to sell those that did.
believes that the crisis in Guinea could lead to civil war in Guinea and to deteriorating political stability in neighboring Liberia
, Sierra Leone
and Côte d'Ivoire
, and Guinea-Bissau
. According to Guinean government officials and Security Minister Moussa Solano on Guinean TV "foreign interests in the oil and mine sector are fostering the troubles" in Guinea.
On February 20, Conté met with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Sierra Leonean President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
amid concerns about the potential for regional destabilization.
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
's trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s and opposition parties
Opposition (politics)
In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government , party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country...
called on President Lansana Conté
Lansana Conté
Lansana Conté was the second President of Guinea from 3 April 1984 until his death. He was a Muslim and a member of the Susu ethnic group.-Early life:...
to resign, accusing him of mismanaging the economy and abusing his authority. The strikers also accused Conté of personally securing the release of Mamadou Sylla
Mamadou Sylla
Mamadou Sylla is a Guinean politician and business leader.Born in Boké, in 1986 Sylla was one of several people given large amounts of rice by the Government to retail. Becoming wealthy, he moved to Conakry and became a senior judge....
and Fode Soumah
Fodé Soumah
Fodé Soumah is a politician from Guinea.Soumah was a prominent figure in the ruling Party of Unity and Progress and was appointed as the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Guinea. Following the 2003 Guinea presidential election, Soumah was appointed the Minister of Youth and Sports...
, both accused of corruption, from prison. The strike ended on January 27 with an agreement between Conté and the unions, according to which Conté would appoint a new prime minister; however, Conté's choice of Eugène Camara
Eugène Camara
Eugène Camara is a political figure from Guinea who was briefly Prime Minister of Guinea in February 2007.-Early life and career:...
as prime minister was deemed unacceptable by the unions, and the strike resumed on February 12. Martial law was imposed on the same day. Nearly two weeks later, Conté agreed to choose a prime minister acceptable to the unions, and on February 26 he named Lansana Kouyaté
Lansana Kouyate
Lansana Kouyaté is a Guinean diplomat and political figure who served as Prime Minister of Guinea from 2007 to 2008.-Background and earlier career:...
as prime minister. The strike ended on February 27, and Kouyaté was sworn in on March 1.
Background
Two general strikeGeneral strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
s had been held in 2006, but these were limited to Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
. The 2007 protests were first visible in Conakry, where workers stayed at home and businesses were shut. The government responded by threatening to sack striking civil servants. Youths took to the streets, despite a ban on rallies
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
. Action soon spread to the nation's bauxite
Bauxite
Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...
mines, where labourers stopped work. On 16 January, Conté offered to cut fuel duty, raise teachers' salaries and address police corruption. This was rejected by union leaders, who were then arrested but soon released.
January events
A general strike was called by the United Trade Union of Guinean Workers (the USTG) in an attempt to force the president to resign. Strike leaders said that Conté, who had ruled Guinea since seizing power in a 1984 coup, had become increasingly erratic. They cite repeated scares about his health, sudden and chaotic cabinet reshuffles and his recent personal intervention to free from jail two former allies accused of graft. The two main opposition parties in the nation, the Rally for the Guinean People and the Union of Republican ForcesUnion of Republican Forces
The Union of Republican Forces is a liberal political party in Guinea.Founded in 1992, the party has been led since 1999 by former Prime Minister of Guinea Sidya Touré. The party supported the Guinea general strike, 2007....
supported the strike, as did the National Council of Civil Society Organisations group of NGOs and the newly formed Civic Alliance.
Police were ordered to disperse crowds of protesters, numbering as many as 5,000, with tear gas. On 17 January, two deaths from bullet wounds were reported in Conakry, and one in Labé
Labé
Labé is the main city and administrative capital of the Fouta Djallon region of Guinea. It has a population of about 58,649 . It is the second largest city in the country after the capital Conakry...
. At least ten protesters had died by January 21.
The biggest protest was called on January 22, with demonstrations in cities across the nation. In the ensuing battles between police and strikers, at least seventeen workers were killed. In Conakry, a crowd estimated at 30,000 marched on the National Assembly of Guinea
National Assembly of Guinea
The unicameral National Assembly of Guinea is the country's legislative body.The National Assembly that was formed following the 30 June 2002 parliamentary election had a total of 114 members...
, but were blocked at the 8 November Bridge
8 November Bridge
The 8 November Bridge is a bridge in Conakry, Guinea. It has strategic significance, given that the bridge cuts the Central Business District off from the rest of the city. During coups the bridge has played an important role....
, where the police allegedly opened fire.
On January 23, the three most prominent trade unionists were arrested by Presidential troops: Rabiatou Sérah Diallo
Rabiatou Sérah Diallo
Rabiatou Serah Diallo is a Guinean trade unionist. She is the General Secretary of the National Confederation of Guinean Workers ....
of the National Confederation of Guinean Workers, Ibrahima Fofana
Ibrahima Fofana
Ibrahima Fofana was a Guinean trade unionist.Fofana was elected as the leader of the United Trade Union of Guinean Workers by 1995. He played a key role in the January–February 2007 general strike, during which he was injured...
of the United Trade Union of Guinean Workers and Yamadou Touré of the National Organization of Free Unions of Guinea. They claimed to have received death threat
Death threat
A death threat is a threat of death, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or groups of people. These threats are usually designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behavior, thus a death threat is a form of coercion...
s from various sources, including Conté himself. Troops then ransacked the Labour Exchange, headquarters of many of the unions. Fofana and Diallo were both injured, but all arrested unionist were released by the following day.
On January 24, Conté met with union leaders, members of Guinea's Supreme Court and religious leaders. Conté is said to have agreed to appoint a new prime minister to end the strike, but strike leaders vowed to continue until all their demands would be met, which include the resignation of Conté. He later conceded to reform the country's political system into a semi-presidential one, which had been the unions' compromise demand. Union leaders stated that there were still more issues to be resolved, but that they were hopeful they could come to an agreement. Conté
also agreed to lower the prices of fuel and rice, and on January 27, Fofana announced the end of the strike.
On January 31, 2007, Conté announced the powers the new prime minister would have: He would be the head of government, be allowed to propose his own team of ministers, organise the country's civil administration and be allowed to represent the president at international meetings. Conté did not yet announce who would become the new prime minister.
Appointment of Eugène Camara
On February 6, 2007, the unions issued an ultimatum, saying that the strike would resume unless Conté appointed a prime minister by February 12. On February 9, Conté nominated Eugène Camara, the minister of state for presidential affairs, as prime minister. Camara is considered a close associate of Conté.Camara's appointment was rejected by the opposition. In the day after his appointment, violence broke out in Conakry and several other parts of the country, and at least eight people were reportedly killed. At least one person was reportedly killed by security forces when protesters threw rocks at a car in which Conté was said to be travelling. Looting was reported, and a soldier who had shot protesters was reportedly killed and set on fire in Kankan
Kankan
Kankan is the largest city in Guinea in land area, and the third largest in population at 207,790 . The city is located on the Milo River in eastern Guinea and lying about 345 miles east of Conakry....
. Union leader Ibrahim Fofana and opposition leader Ba Mamadou said that Conté must step down.
In a statement given to BBC on February 11, USTG leader Ibrahima Fofana declared that the unions now demanded the dismissal of the entire government, including the president.
Resumption of strike and martial law
The strike resumed on February 12, with demonstrations across the nation and the military out in force. Conté declared martial lawMartial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
on the same day, which he said would remain in effect until February 23. On February 13, with a curfew in force for all but four hours of the day (4 to 8 PM), Conakry was reported to be largely under control, although some gunfire was still heard in the city. Army chief of staff Gen. Kerfala Camara announced late in the same day that the curfew
Curfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
hours would be changed so that the period from noon to 6 PM would be exempt from curfew. Gen. Camara said on February 16 that martial law would continue until the unions agreed to call off the strike, but the unions have refused to enter talks until martial law is lifted. On February 18, Gen. Camara said that the curfew would be reduced further so that it would cover the period from 6 PM to 6 AM, thus adding six hours to the portion of the day exempt from it, beginning on February 19.. On February 19, negotiation resumed between Government representative and Unions through religious leaders. However, the Union have said they will not participate to current negotiation until the martial law is lifted. On Friday afternoon at the Palais du Peuple, Guineenews
Guinéenews
Guinéenews is a web site solely dedicated to the dissemination of news about the Republic of Guinea. With a staff of five full time journalists in Conakry and technical and operational support in Canada, Guinéenews is the primary source of information about the current events in Guinea. The site...
reported that Abdoulaye Bah, the General Secretary of one of the Union (the UTDG) said the meeting has been postponed as they religious leadership is briefing the government and the army about the meeting they had with the Union the day before.
A proposal to leave Eugène Camara in office as prime minister for three months as a trial period was rejected by the unions on February 20. On February 22, Conté requested that parliament approve an extension of martial law, but on the next day parliament unanimously rejected the request. Gen. Kerfala Camara then ordered that people resume work on February 26, and that classes resume on March 1. The unions said that the strike would continue. Shortly afterward, however, Conté agreed to appoint a new prime minister from a list of individuals chosen by the unions and representatives of civil society. He chose Lansana Kouyaté
Lansana Kouyate
Lansana Kouyaté is a Guinean diplomat and political figure who served as Prime Minister of Guinea from 2007 to 2008.-Background and earlier career:...
as the new prime minister on 26 February, and union leaders declared an end to the strike. Following a day of commemoration services for the 110 victims of the struggle, people returned to work on February 27. Opposition spokesperson Mamadou Ba warned that it would be necessary to keep up the pressure on Conté to ensure that he permitted Kouyaté to do his job.
Kouyaté was sworn in as prime minister on March 1; Conté did not attend the ceremony, which was instead presided over by Eugène Camara. School classes resumed on the same day.
Media censorship
During January, strikers were banned from televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and all but one radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
. Many co-ordinated their activity through SMS messages. Rumours spread that the state-owned network Sotelgui were deliberately blocking texts.
After martial law was declared on 12 February, almost all media ceased to appear. Radio stations including Familia FM and Liberté FM were forcibly closed; the only station permitted to remain on air was music-only Nostalgie FM. Radiodiffusion Télévision Guinéenne restricted its broadcasting to governmental and army statements. All internet cafe
Internet cafe
An Internet café or cybercafé is a place which provides internet access to the public, usually for a fee. These businesses usually provide snacks and drinks, hence the café in the name...
s were ordered to shut, and all four of the nation's Internet Service Provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
s were taken offline. Newspapers were only permitted to publish if their content was approved by military commanders. In the event, most chose not to appear, and many outlets refused to sell those that did.
Fears of civil war
The International Crisis GroupInternational Crisis Group
The International Crisis Group is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization whose mission is to prevent and resolve deadly conflicts around the world through field-based analyses and high-level advocacy.-History:...
believes that the crisis in Guinea could lead to civil war in Guinea and to deteriorating political stability in neighboring Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
and Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
, and Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
. According to Guinean government officials and Security Minister Moussa Solano on Guinean TV "foreign interests in the oil and mine sector are fostering the troubles" in Guinea.
On February 20, Conté met with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Sierra Leonean President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah served as President of Sierra Leone from 1996 to 1997 and again from 1998 to 2007.He worked for the United Nations Development Programme and returned to Sierra Leone in 1992...
amid concerns about the potential for regional destabilization.