Attempted coup in Guinea after dictator dies

Officer claims constitution dissolved on Conté's death
Ministers say bulk of military supports them

A power struggle was underway in Guinea yesterday as elements of the military claimed to have seized control and removed the government following the death of one of Africa's most authoritarian and corrupt rulers, Lansana Conté.

The prime minister, Ahmed Tidiane Souaré, denied there had been a coup and said most of the military, a main prop of Conté's power for 24 years, remains loyal to his civilian government. But there were reports of armoured vehicles and troops moving toward the presidential palace and prime minister's office.

Heavily armed soldiers took control of a strategic bridge into the heart of the capital, Conakry, and patrolled the streets, but the city was calm.

Conté's death at about 78 following a long illness, believed to be diabetes or leukaemia, was announced on television by the speaker of the national assembly, Aboubacar Somparé, who said the constitution required he be appointed interim president until elections were held within 60 days. The head of the armed forces, General Diarra Camara, appeared beside him, leaving the impression there would be a constitutional transfer of power.

But hours later an army officer, identified as Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, announced on the radio the dissolution of a government he blamed for an "unprecedented economic and social crisis".

"As of today, the constitution is suspended," he said. "The government and the institutions of the republic have been dissolved."

Guinea is rich in minerals, but its 10 million people are among the world's poorest. Opposition parties and trade unions have asserted their political clout as Conté's grip on power loosened in recent years, although he remained the dominant force to the end.

Moussa Dadis Camara, who heads the army's fuel supplies unit, said a "national council of democracy" of military and civilian leaders will be established to combat corruption and hold elections, a move that mirrors the coup that brought Conté to power in 1984. The army said it had summoned cabinet ministers and top officials to the country's main military camp "to guarantee their security".

But Souaré, the prime minister, denied there was a military takeover and said the government "continues to function as it should". He told Radio France Internationale: "I do not know these people who have spoken. I am sure that they will see reason. They have not used force. There has been no threat against anybody."

Camara, the armed forces head, said he believed only a minority of soldiers supported the rebellion.

Somparé, the national assembly speaker, told French TV there had been an attempted coup, but he did not believe it was supported by most of the military. "I hope that those who are loyal, who want the constitution to be respected, make themselves heard. This is a setback for our country and I hope that it won't be accepted, as it's a minority of soldiers and officers who have taken this action. The vast majority is loyal.

"I am worried because our country has suffered many moments of uncertainty. We have suffered a lot, and I was hoping that this time we could at last have an era of calm, peace and serenity."

The attempted military takeover was condemned by the African Union. Its peace and security commissioner, Ramtane Lamamra, told the BBC: "This is a blatant violation of the Guinean constitution and a violation of African legality."

Other west African nations will be concerned at the prospect of conflict in Guinea at a time when the region is finding relative stability after years of brutal wars.