Who is Professor alpha conde?

Answer 1

Professor Alpha Conde is a politician from the African state of Guinea, who was arrested on trumped-up charges of subversion when he stood for election against the military Dictatorship that ran the country up until last year. Professor Conde was originally an academic, who taught political science at The Sorbonne in Paris. He returned home to his native guinea in 1998 to get involved in politics, and to fight for democratic change against the military regime. Very soon after he arrived, he was elected to Parliament. The Guinean President, General Lansana Conte, was later that year forced to bow to international pressure and hold democratic elections, in which Prof. Conde stood as an opposition candidate leading the RPG Party (or 'Rassemblement du Peuple du Guinea' - Guinea is a former French colony, and most of it's people still speak French as their first language). The elections were scheduled for 15th December '98; Conde's RPG Party won most of the vote, but later on that very day he was arrested on a series of ficticious charges, which included plotting with his supporters to lead an armed rebellion and to assassinate President General Conte. This was just an excuse by the Government to declare the elections null and void, so that they could stay in power. Prof. Alpha Conde's case sparked anger and indignation around the world, and was a main campaign focus for human rights organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. After being held in detention for 2 years, Prof. Conde went to trial in September 2000. The trial was observed by representatives from the Inter Parliamentary Union, to assess their fairness (or otherwise). The charges brought against Conde were very serious, and could have carried the death penalty, although in the end, he was sentenced to five year's hard labour. However, he only served a few months in prison, being released in 2001 and allowed to return home. The trial took it's toll on him, and he was left very weak and undernourished. General Lansana Conte died on 23rd December last year. His appointed successor was Aboubacar Sompare, Head of the National Assembly, but his succession was opposed by the army, who seized power in a coup within hours of Conte's death and suspended the country's Constitution. The nation is now run by a junta headed by army captain Mouassis Damara, who has promised fresh elections within the next 2 years. Prof. Alpha Conde remains a senior figure in the opposition movement, but ever since his trial has been forced to keep a low profile.