In lieu of the happenings in Nigeria, there has been reports that a total of twenty-one people have been killed in unrest in Guinea following a disputed presidential election last week. The report was made by the state television on Monday, as international envoys attempted to soothe tensions in the West African nation.
The RTG state news channel said that twenty-one people had been killed since October 19. This number includes officers of the security forces.
The 82 years old President, Alpha Conde, won the polarized and debated contest October 18 election according to official results announced Saturday. This would be Conde’s third term.
But his main opponent Cellou Dalein Diallo, 68, disputes the results. He claimed victory last week, citing data his activists gathered at individual polling stations. Diallo’s self-proclaimed victory led to a week of clashes between supporters and security forces across the nation.
The government had previous put the number of dead at 10.
A diplomatic delegation from the United Nations, African Union and the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States landed in Guinea Sunday in the aftermath of the unrest.
An ECOWAS official in Conakry said they also spoke with representatives of Guinea’s electoral commission and foreign diplomats.
Diallo told AFP that the envoys met him too, at his Conakry home which police have blockaded for days.
Anti-Conde protests were due to resume in the city early Monday and many shops stayed shut, but few people ended up hitting the streets in the end.
Disasters from the unrest were apparent in the Conakry neighbourhood of Wanindara. The images show burned-out vehicles lying on the roadside. Mohamed Saliou Camara, whose house was torched, said Conde and Diallo supporters had clashed in the area.
Much of the turbulence centres on a third term for Alpha Conde, whom opponents accuse of drifting into authoritarianism.
He pushed through a new constitution in March which he argued would modernize the country. This new constitution also allowed him to bypass a two-term limit for presidents.
