Guinea’s junta has instructed an investigation into the actions of ousted President Alpha Conde, the nation’s inaugural democratically elected leader, on charges of treason.
After being overthrown in a September 2021 coup following his more than decade-long rule, Conde has been residing in exile in Turkey.
He is currently under investigation for suspected involvement in corruption, assassination, torture, kidnapping, and rape.
“You are ordered… to initiate legal proceedings for alleged acts of treason, criminal conspiracy and complicity in the illicit possession of arms and ammunition”, Justice Minister Alphonse Charles Wright said in a letter to the public prosecutor of the capital Conakry on Monday.
The letter claimed that Conde had procured weapons and ammunition, although it did not offer specific details or evidence.
In 2010, Conde made history by becoming the inaugural democratically elected president of the former French colony, succeeding decades of authoritarian and dictatorial regimes.
The announcement of his candidacy for a third term sparked vigorous protests, which were forcefully suppressed. Following the 2021 coup, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya took control and pledged to transfer governance back to elected civilians by January 2026.
The junta has initiated numerous prosecutions against individuals affiliated with Conde’s inner circle.
Since 2020, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have each experienced at least one coup.