Moussa Dadis Camara

Moussa Dadis Camara
President of Guinea
Incumbent
Assumed office  24 December 2008
Prime Minister	Kabiné Komara
Preceded by	Aboubacar Somparé
Born	1964 Koure, Lola Prefecture, Nzérékoré Region, Guinea
Nationality	Guinean
Political party	Military Junta-National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD)
Children	four children
Residence	Camp Alpha Yaya Dialo (Unofficial resident) Conakry, Guinea
Alma mater	Gamal Abdel Nasser University Conakry, Guinea Bremen Military Management School Bremen, Germany
Profession	Soldier
Religion	Christianity[1]
Website	http://www.guinee.gov.gn/ (official government website)

Captain Moussa Dadis Camara (born 1964) is an officer of the Guinean army who is currently serving as the President of the Republic of Guinea’s National Council for Democracy and Development (Conseil National de la Démocratie et du Développement, CNDD), which seized power in a military coup d'état on 23 December 2008 following the death of long-time President Lansana Conté. As head of the CNDD, which Camara described as a transitional body that will oversee the country’s return to democracy, Camara is the head of state of Guinea.

Early life

Moussa Dadis Camara was born in 1964 in the remote town of Kouré, Lola Prefecture, in the Guinée Forestière region of southeastern Guinea, near the border with Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia. He is a member of the Kpelle ethnic group (known in Guinea as Guerze). Dadis’ ethnic group are primarily found in Guinée Forestière region of Guinea, near Liberia. Dadis attended primary and secondary school in Nzérékoré, about 24 miles (40 km) away from his birth-town of Kouré. He studied law and economics at Abdel Nasser University in the capital, Conakry. He is a Christian^[1] in a country that is at least 85% Muslim. Dadis speaks five languages: French, Kpelle, Susu, Maninka and German.^[1]

He joined the Army of Guinea in 1990 as a corporal and was later appointed as the Chief of Fuels at the Guinean army base in Kindia, about 60 miles northeast of Conakry.^[2] From 2001 to 2002, Dadis was sent to Sierra Leone as a member of the United Nation’s peacekeeping troops. In 2004, President Conté sent Dadis, along with several other Guinean soldiers, to Bremen, Germany, for 18 months’ military training. In November 2008, he was named head of the Guinean army’s fuel supplies unit, a branch of the Guinean Minister of Defense’s cabinet.^[1] He was one of the leading mutineers in the 2008 Guinean military unrest. Prior to the December 2008 coup, he was not well known by the general population.^[3]

Christmas coup

In the early hours of 23 December 2008, Aboubacar Somparé, the President of the National Assembly, announced on television that Conté had died because of illness on 22 December.^[4] According to the constitution, the President of the National Assembly was to assume the Presidency of the Republic in the event of a vacancy, and a new presidential election was to be held within 60 days.^[4]

Six hours after Somparé announced Conté’s death, a statement was read on television announcing a military coup d’état.^[5] This statement, read by Captain Camara^[6] on behalf of the CNDD,^[5] said that "the government and the institutions of the Republic have been dissolved". The statement also announced the suspension of the constitution “as well as political and union activity”.^[6] According to Camara, the coup was necessary because of Guinea’s “deep despair” amidst rampant poverty and corruption, and he said that the existing institutions were “incapable of resolving the crises which have been confronting the country.” Furthermore, Camara said that someone from the military would become President, while a civilian would be appointed as Prime Minister at the head of a new government that would be ethnically balanced.^[7] The National Council for Democracy and Development would, according to Camara, include 26 officers as well as six civilians.^[8]

A statement was read over the radio on 24 December 2008, announcing that Captain Camara was the President of the CNDD.^[9] Later in the day, Camara and thousands of soldiers loyal to him paraded through the city, surrounded by large numbers of civilian supporters. According to Camara, he “came to see if the terrain is favorable to us”, declaring that the large crowds indicated that the people were indeed supportive of the coup. Also on 24 December, Camara said in a radio broadcast that the CNDD did not want to stay in power indefinitely and that it intended to lead the country for two years, promising “credible and transparent presidential elections by the end of December 2010”. This contradicted an earlier statement which promised an election within the constitutionally mandated period of 60 days.^[10]

Speaking on the radio on 25 December, Camara said that he did not plan to run for President at the end of the two year transitional period. He also declared that the CNDD was not susceptible to bribes. According to Camara, people had “start[ed] to show up with bags of money to try to corrupt us. They’ve tried to give money to our wives and cars to our children.” He warned that he would “personally go after anyone that tries to corrupt us”.^[11]

The Associated Press reported that Camara’s tenureship was quickly challenged by soldiers of Sekouba Konate, in one of the capital’s barracks. Camara, Konate, and a third unknown officer then drew lots, twice, to determine who would lead, with Camara winning both times.^[12]

On 25 December 2008, the Prime Minister under the previous régime, Ahmed Tidiane Souaré, pledged loyalty to Camara, thus further consolidating the latter’s rule.^[11] On 22 March 2009, Souaré was arrested and held in a military prison, along with two Mines Ministers (recalling that Guinea is the world’s largest exporter of bauxite, the necessary ore for aluminum).^[13]

Stade du 28 Septembre incident

On 28 September 2009, opposition party members demonstrated in the Stade du 28 Septembre in Conakry, demanding that Camara step down. Security forces fired into the crowd, killing 157 people(U.N) and injuring 1,200.^[14] In response to criticism from international human rights organisations, the government has said that only 56 people died and most were trampled by fleeing protesters.^[15] Following the event, cell phone photos from anonymous sources circulated on the Internet, showing what appears to be many women being raped by Camara’s soldiers.^[16] Few women have spoken up about the attacks against them because of a societal stigma against the victims of sexual assault. However, Doctors Without Borders has confirmed that they have treated several rape and sexual violence victims of the incident. The International Criminal Court is currently investigating the incident and the African Union has asked for Camara’s resignation.^[17]

In response to the incident, the Economic Community of West African States imposed an arms embargo on Guinea.^[18] The African Union, the European Union and the United States punished Moussa Dadis Camara and forty-one other junta members in late October 2009. The African Union imposed a travel ban and froze any bank accounts owned by the forty-two.^[19] The European Union did the same a day earlier.^[19] The United States opted for a travel ban alone.^[20] The African Union's commissioner for peace and security said the sanctions were intended to punish the junta and would not affect areas such as trade which may impact on the lives of ordinary citizens.^[19]

Assassination attempt

On 3 December 2009, Camara was shot by men under the command of his aide-de-camp, Abubakar "Toumba" Diakite. A government spokesman (Idrissa Cherif) said he was only lightly wounded, but anonymous junta officials said Camara was in a serious condition after being shot in the head.^[21] Camara's bodyguard and driver were killed in the attack.^[22]

On 4 December the New York Times's sources suggested that Camara had in fact left the country for medical treatment in Morocco, amidst claims by officials that he was not in serious condition.^[23]

Vice-President (and defense minister) Sékouba Konaté flew back from Lebanon to run the country. Diakite is still in hiding.^[24]

See also

• Politics of Guinea

References

External links

Wikinews has related news: Military dissolves Guinean government

• Why Guinea's People Welcomed the Coup
• Who is Moussa Dadis Camara?
• Guinea Prime Minister Surrenders To Junta
• Camara interview with Radio France Internationale after Conakry massacre, English translation
• Guinea's Capital Fades Into a Ghost Town After Soldiers' Rampage
• Toll Rises From Attack on Guinea Protesters
• Guinea Seethes as a Captain Rules at Gunpoint
• U.S Envoy Protests Violence in Guinea.
• In Guinea Seized by Violence, Woman Are Prey.

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