Alpha Condé leaves Guinea for treatment

The former president of Guinea, Alpha Condé, left Conakry at night to go abroad for a medical examination. What guarantees were demanded by the ruling junta?

A month after Guinea's ruling junta said the ex-president would be allowed to travel for medical reasons, Alpha Condé has finally left Conakry. On the night of Monday to Tuesday, at 2 a.m., Alpha Condé took off on a plane in the company of his doctor and two bodyguards. The latter would also act as representatives of the current president, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya.

Indeed, having not formally submitted his resignation, it took several weeks for the mention of "president" to be removed from Alpha Condé's passport. His departure abroad was also the subject of long discussions between the Guinean military authorities and his country of destination.

So, after long speculation, Alpha Condé finally left for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Previously, Alpha Condé had offered Côte d'Ivoire as a base, which had been refused. Finally, between Qatar, Turkey and the UAE, it is the latter who will take care of the reception of the overthrown president.

In return, reports Jeune Afrique, Alpha Condé would have signed a document committing not to speak in public, and that his stay in the UAE does not exceed one month. A context that is reminiscent that of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (IBK), the former Malian president. But unlike the latter, Alpha Condé is more impulsive and refused to resign. What to wonder about the real guarantees concerning his return to Guinea.

Alpha Condé's concessions

Alpha Condé had been under house arrest since last September. Accompanied only by his doctor, his wife and his cook, he had disappeared from radar for months. However, by refusing to sign his resignation, the former Guinean president is, rightly or wrongly, still legitimate in the eyes of his regime's international allies.

This explains, moreover, his request for treatment in Côte d'Ivoire, and his refusal by Mamady Doumbouya. Alpha Condé was, during his mandate, very close to his Ivorian counterpart Alassane Ouattara. The latter also granted him a certain influence at ECOWAS. And the social policies of the two heads of state are very close, as are their diplomatic positions vis-à-vis foreign countries.

But whatever the case, Condé's departure from Guinea is a strong sign. A sign which shows that Mamady Doumbouya has a grip on the country, far exceeding the coup d'etat carried out with a few hundred soldiers. And if Alpha Condé did not stubbornly proclaim his legitimacy or oppose the junta, it is because he is aware of it.

Alpha Condé's Emirati stay will therefore be extended for two weeks to a month depending on the results of his exams. Once his hip has been treated, he will be back in Conakry. He would also have asked to take back his phone which had been confiscated from him. But given the context of his trip, this request was also refused.