President Alpha Conde of Guinea
CONAKRY, Oct 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Electoral authorities in Guinea declared President Alpha Conde winner of Oct 18’s election with 59.49% of the vote, defeating his main rival Cellou Diallo.
Some people went to the streets to protest immediately after the announcement. Such demonstrations have occurred for months after the government changed the constitution through a national referendum, allowing Conde to extend his decade in power.
Opposition candidate Cellou Diallo received 33.50% of the vote, the electoral commission said. Voter turnout was almost 80%.
Political tensions in the West African nation turned violent in recent days after Diallo claimed victory ahead of the official results. Celebrations by his supporters were suppressed when security forces fired tear gas to disperse them.
They accuse the electoral authorities of rigging the vote for incumbent president Alpha Conde.
At least nine people have been killed since the election, according to the government.
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda warned that warring factions in Guinea could be prosecuted after fighting erupted.
“I wish to repeat this important reminder: anyone who commits, orders, incites, encourages and contributes in any other way to crimes…is liable to prosecution either by the Guinean courts or the ICC,” she said.
On Friday, internet and international calls were cut off across the West African nation in anticipation of the election results, according to locals and international observers in the capital, Conakry.
This was the third time that Conde matched-up against Diallo. Before the election, observers raised concerns that an electoral dispute could reignite ethnic tensions between Guinea’s largest ethnic groups.
A delegation comprising of officials from the United Nations, the African Union and regional bloc ECOWAS was expected in Conakry in the coming days, as efforts to de-escalate the stalemate in the west African country gather pace. — NNN-AGENCIES