Guinea army closes roads leading to administrative centre of capital
Conakry, Guinea (PANA) - Guinea soldiers have closed all roads leading to the administrative centre of Conakry as several witnesses speak of a botched mutiny at a military garrison in Kinda.
Residents of the Guinean capital were surprised to see, early on Friday, that all roads leading to the Commune of Kaloum, where the presidential palace, National Assembly, Prime Minister's Office, several ministries, banks, shops, among others, are located, have been closed by soldiers.
According to several eyewitnesses contacted by PANA, the soldiers, who stormed the entrance to Kaloum Commune during the night, asked pedestrians, motorists and motorcyclists on their way to work to go back.
The eyewitnesses explained that an attempted mutiny was nipped in the bud on Thursday night in the military garrison of Kindia, 130 km from the capital.
Young soldiers are said to have taken up arms to free colleagues imprisoned since last March for allegedly attempting a coup on the eve of the legislative election and referendum on the constitution.
The mutineers, who seized heavy weapons, are said to have killed Mamadi Conde, the commander of the Kèmè Bourama camp in Kindia, where a new detachment of soldiers recently received the national flag before leaving for northern Mali where they will be deployed in Kidal with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
Guinea has provided troops to the UN mission since the attack on northern Mali in 2012 by jihadists.
-0- PANA AC/JSG/BBA/MA 16Oct2020
