In 2008, a military coup followed the death of Lansana Conte, the strongman who ran the West African nation for over two decades. Protests in 2009 led to a bloody crackdown where over 150 people were killed in the capital Conakry; rights groups reported incidents of rape carried out by soldiers. Since then, elections were held and Alpha Conde, a longtime opposition figure, came to power in the first free and fair elections in the nation’s history. Yet Conde was almost killed this July following a failed assassination attempt allegedly carried out by elements within the military.
Armed Camps: Where Militaries Meddle with Democracy
The Egyptian military’s latest attempt to circumvent the results of national elections has stoked scrutiny of the top brass in Cairo. Global Spin looks at countries where the army is currently meddling in politics.