Eugène Camara
Encyclopedia
Eugène Camara is a political figure from Guinea
who was briefly Prime Minister of Guinea in February 2007.
and received his primary education in Guinea before going to Senegal
for school from 1957 to 1959; he then returned to Guinea to continue his education in Conakry
. In the early 1970s he was General Coordinator of the Sonfonia furniture factory, responsible to the Ministry of Industry and Energy. He was then placed in charge of financial coordination of industry and energy, and from 1973 to 1974 he was Deputy Director of Industry and Energy. He became an intern at the International Center for Public Enterprises in Ljubljana
, Yugoslavia
, in 1974; when he returned to Guinea, he became Director of the Plan and Statistics of the Ministry of Industry and Energy in 1977, and from 1977 to 1984 he was Financial Director of the projects of the Ministry of Industry.
From 1983 to 1985, Camara was President of the Technical Committee of the Board of Salguidia, a company. He was confirmed as Secretary General of the Ministry of Industrial Development in 1985. In 1991, he was appointed as a member of the Transitional Committee for National Reform by President Lansana Conté
. From 1992 to 1994 he was Governor of the Administrative Region of Guinée Forestière
, and from 1994 to 1997 he was Governor of the Administrative Region of Kindia
.
Camara was appointed as Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research on 17 November 1997, serving in that position until he was named Minister of the Plan on 1 March 2004. He was moved from the latter position to that of Minister of State for Presidential Affairs on 19 January 2007, replacing Fodé Bangoura
.
. The position of Prime Minister had been vacant since the dismissal of Cellou Dalein Diallo
in April 2006; prior to Camara, prime ministers in Guinea had not been heads of government.
The appointment of Camara did not go down well with the opposition, who rebuffed Camara as a man of the old establishment. Following his appointment violence erupted in several parts of the country. Labor unions restarted the strike on 12 February, and Conté declared martial law
on the same day. A proposal to leave Camara in office as prime minister for three months as a trial period was rejected by the unions on 20 February. On 25 February, it was announced that Conté had agreed to appoint a new prime minister from a list of individuals chosen by the unions and representatives of civil society, and the unions said that the strike would end on 27 February. Conté chose the new prime minister, Lansana Kouyaté
, on 26 February. On 1 March, Camara presided over Kouyaté's swearing in ceremony, at which Conté was not present.
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...
who was briefly Prime Minister of Guinea in February 2007.
Early life and career
Camara was born in NzérékoréNzérékoré
Nzérékoré, also spelled N'Zérékoré, is the largest city in the Guinée Forestière region of south-eastern Guinea and is capital of the Nzérékoré Prefecture. It is Guinea's third largest city . It was the centre of a rising against French rule in 1911. It is now known as a market town, and for its...
and received his primary education in Guinea before going to Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
for school from 1957 to 1959; he then returned to Guinea to continue his education in 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...
. In the early 1970s he was General Coordinator of the Sonfonia furniture factory, responsible to the Ministry of Industry and Energy. He was then placed in charge of financial coordination of industry and energy, and from 1973 to 1974 he was Deputy Director of Industry and Energy. He became an intern at the International Center for Public Enterprises in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, in 1974; when he returned to Guinea, he became Director of the Plan and Statistics of the Ministry of Industry and Energy in 1977, and from 1977 to 1984 he was Financial Director of the projects of the Ministry of Industry.
From 1983 to 1985, Camara was President of the Technical Committee of the Board of Salguidia, a company. He was confirmed as Secretary General of the Ministry of Industrial Development in 1985. In 1991, he was appointed as a member of the Transitional Committee for National Reform by 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:...
. From 1992 to 1994 he was Governor of the Administrative Region of Guinée Forestière
Guinée Forestière
Guinée Forestière is a forested mountainous region in southeastern Guinea, extending into northeastern Sierra Leone. It is one of four natural regions into which Guinea is divided and covers 23% of the country...
, and from 1994 to 1997 he was Governor of the Administrative Region of Kindia
Kindia
Kindia is the third largest city in Guinea, lying about 85 miles north east of the nation's capital Conakry.Population 181,126 . - Overview :...
.
Camara was appointed as Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research on 17 November 1997, serving in that position until he was named Minister of the Plan on 1 March 2004. He was moved from the latter position to that of Minister of State for Presidential Affairs on 19 January 2007, replacing Fodé Bangoura
Fodé Bangoura
Fodé Bangoura is a Guinean political figure, once a key aide to president Lansana Conté.-References:...
.
Prime minister
He was appointed as Prime Minister by President Conté on 9 February 2007, following a general strike in January that ended with Conté agreeing to appoint a new prime minister who would be head of governmentHead of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
. The position of Prime Minister had been vacant since the dismissal of Cellou Dalein Diallo
Cellou Dalein Diallo
Cellou Dalein Diallo is a Guinean economist and politician who was Prime Minister of Guinea from 2004 to 2006. Currently he is President of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea , an opposition party....
in April 2006; prior to Camara, prime ministers in Guinea had not been heads of government.
The appointment of Camara did not go down well with the opposition, who rebuffed Camara as a man of the old establishment. Following his appointment violence erupted in several parts of the country. Labor unions restarted the strike on 12 February, and Conté declared martial law
Martial 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. A proposal to leave Camara in office as prime minister for three months as a trial period was rejected by the unions on 20 February. On 25 February, it was announced that Conté had agreed to appoint a new prime minister from a list of individuals chosen by the unions and representatives of civil society, and the unions said that the strike would end on 27 February. Conté chose the new prime minister, 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:...
, on 26 February. On 1 March, Camara presided over Kouyaté's swearing in ceremony, at which Conté was not present.