Political Crisis and ECOWAS-Mediated Transition in Guinea

Abstract

Between 2005 and 2010, a political crisis besieged the Republic of Guinea, nearly rendering the country ungovernable and posing serious security risks for the already instable West African region. The initial episodes of the crisis consisted of general strikes through which a coalition of trade unions and political parties forced ailing President Lansana Conté to sack his cabinet and appoint a national-consensus prime minister. The next episode began with Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara’s coup d’état following Gen. Conté’s death and culminated in the massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators by state security forces. This article explores the crisis and attempts to elucidate the contribution of ECOWAS and other major international stakeholders to the political transition that ensued.