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WORLD FACTBOOK (US)
Introduction: Guinea has had a history of authoritarian rule since gaining its independence from France in 1958. Lansana CONTE came to power in 1984 when the military seized the government after the death of the first president, Sekou TOURE. Guinea did not hold democratic elections until 1993 when Gen. CONTE (head of the military government) was elected president of the civilian government. He was reelected in 1998 and again in 2003, though all the polls were marred by irregularities. History repeated itself in December 2008 when following President CONTE's death, Capt. Moussa Dadis CAMARA led a military coup, seizing power and suspending the...
BACKGROUND NOTES (US)
People: Guinea has four main ethnic groups: Peuhl (Foula or Foulani), who inhabit the mountainous Fouta Djallon; Malinke (or Mandingo), in the savannah and forest regions; Soussous in the coastal areas; and several other ethnic groups (Gerze, Toma, etc.) in the forest region.
Other West Africans make up the largest non-Guinean population. Non-Africans total about 10,000 (mostly ...
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COUNTRY PROFILE (UK)
International Relations: Guinea is a member of the Mano River Union (MRU), formed in 1973 to establish a customs and economic union between the 3 member states – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Subsequently, members signed a mutual non-aggression pact and pledged to establish a permanent mechanism for conflict prevention.
However Relations with Liberia were particularly difficult in the period when Charles Taylor was President of Liberia (1997-2003). Relations have improved following the removal of Taylor in August 2003 and the widely hailed democratic election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in November 2005, which augurs well for regional ...
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