Presidential Poll Result Triggers Violence In Guinea

Presidential Poll Result Triggers Violence In Guinea

Sporadic violence has hit Guinea's capital and several regions on Tuesday after opposition leader Alpha Conde was declared winner in a hotly contested presidential poll aimed at restoring civilian rule.

Caretaker Prime Minister, Jean-Marie Dore was quoted as saying that armed men held up buses in the northern Labe region, a stronghold of ex-premier and poll loser Cellou Dalein Diallo, robbing and sometimes beating up passengers.

Authorities in the West African country have called on security forces to refrain from using firearms after an unconfirmed report of one death and dozens wounded in their clashes with rock-throwing youths in the outskirts of Conakry.

Election result

After a tense wait for election results, Guinea's election commission late on Monday named veteran opposition leader Conde winner of the November 7 election with 52.5 percent of the vote in the world's top bauxite exporter.

The poll was Guinea's first free vote since independence from France in 1958 and is meant to draw a line under almost two years of military rule which is also hoped to provide legal certainty for billions of dollars of recent investment by mining firms in Guinea's bauxite and iron ore riches.

All-night celebrations by Conde supporters were tainted by bursts of gunfire in the streets of the capital before a return to calm allowed Conde to do a victory tour of the town centre.

Reconciliation and good governance

In his first statement after the result, Conde said he wanted to be a president of reconciliation and hinted at some role for Diallo in a future government, though gave no details.

"Time has come to reach out in a spirit of brotherhood to tackle together and immediately, the numerous challenges the country faces," Conde said.

Diallo also urged his supporters to remain calm even as he mounts a legal challenge to the results in the Supreme Court, citing evidence of electoral fraud, which the Supreme Court has eight days to make its ruling.

United Nations' top Official in West Africa, Said Djinnit, urged the leaders to do everything possible to maintain an atmosphere of calm.

Residents in Cosa, Bambeto and Simbaya, Diallo's strongholds on the outskirts of Conakry, said there had been bursts of gunfire overnight and into Tuesday morning as residents woke to try and celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

According to Human Rights Watch calm was restored later but several dozen people had been wounded with at least one person dead during a security crackdown that began on Monday.

REUTERS/Evelyn/Austin