VATICAN CITY: At least another 17 people have been killed in violence in Guinea, and union workers have resumed their nation-wide strike, after the country’s ailing and corrupt President on Friday named a close associate to succeed him.
Some 60 people were already killed in 18 days of strikes and protests that the unions agreed to end last month. The President, Lansana Conte, was given a deadline that ended today to name a suitable successor to the new post of Prime Minister, a post which would also assume most executive powers. “At the root of this crisis is poor governance and corruption,” said Jean-Pierre Curtis, Secretary General of Caritas Guinea. “By putting one of his close allies in power, Mr. Conte has most Guineans alarmed,” Mr. Curtis continued. The relatively few Guineans who can afford to were stocking up on food as the crisis escalated over the weekend. The strikes in January led to food shortages across the country. Guinea is potentially a very rich country, with a mining industry that essentially supplies the world with the bulk of its aluminum and other bauxite products. But even by African standards, Guinea is understood to be one of the most corrupt countries on the continent and could possibly be the most corrupt country in the world. “The reason why the unions have taken a tough stance right from the beginning of this crisis is because it is understood that the President himself went to personally release one of his friends from prison – someone who had been imprisoned for stealing and syphoning off funds from the country’s Central Bank,” said Mr. Curtis. In a document recently published by Caritas Guinea, the organisation highlights “the close link that exists between the worsening socio-economic conditions and this phenomenon of widespread illicit [personal] enrichment.” The same document underlines that though Guinea is almost entirely an agricultural economy, the country depends on imports for everything, even for the most basic food needs. So while funds go missing and the country’s currency plummets, even a simple bag of rice has more than doubled in price over the last year. “Meanwhile, salaries haven’t gone in the same direction, because the Public Administration hasn’t yet implemented an increase in wages that is an important and evident necessity in order to avoid social conflict,” the document also states. The funds necessary for wage increases aren’t available, however, because the country’s leaders have been busy looting the state coffers. In addition, international donors are loath to invest in Guinea when there is such blatant theft going on, so another source of revenues is severely restricted. “Guinea is potentially a very rich country, but we must be able to transform that potential wealth into real wealth that benefits all of the people,” said Mr. Curtis. “What the international community can do to help Guinea is to stabilise its currency by seizing the funds stolen from Guinea that sit in overseas accounts – mostly in Western countries – and repatriate them to Guinea.” The humanitarian community in Guinea recognises that the country must begin to transform its production capacity so that it is no longer relying on imports for even its basic food needs. The administration, however, cannot move forward with such an undertaking since the funds never make it to their final destination, and for non-governmental organisations, the needs are so great that they would never be able to fill the funding gaps. In a note sent out during the last series of protests in January, the third in a year, the Christian Council of Guinea called upon all sides in the dispute to come to the negotiating table, to have a sincere and frank dialogue to resolve the crisis in Guinea. The council was equally critical of the country’s leaders: “the basis and the origin of this Guinean evil has at its root essentially in poor governance characterised by: - the absence of truth - injustice - corruption and theft - impunity - the lack of mutual trust - irresponsibilty at all levels - the indifference of the authorities in the face of the misery of the People - the non-respect of texts (consitutional, legislative and legal)” “May God Save Guinea,” the note concluded, signed by the Archbishop of the capital, Conakry, Mons. Vincent Coulibal Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and social service organisations present in 200 countries and territories. For more information, contact: Nancy McNally, CI Media Officer; Tel: +39 06 698 797 52; Email: mcnally@caritas.va