West African leaders demand six-month transition after Guinea coup (updated)

Singapore Shipping

16/09/2021 13:29

(Releads on sanctions, transition deadline)
    By Christian Akorlie
    ACCRA, Sept 16 (Reuters) - West Africa's main regional bloc
imposed sanctions against the junta in Guinea on Thursday and
demanded they return the country to constitutional rule within
six months, the president of the bloc's commission said.
    After an emergency summit of the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS) in Accra, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou said
they would freeze the financial assets and impose travel bans
for junta members and their relatives.
    "In six months elections should be held," Brou said at a
briefing, calling for the immediate release of President Alpha
Conde, who was ousted in a military coup last week.
    Regional leaders who took part in the summit hailed the
tough measures agreed by the bloc to West and Central Africa's
third coup since April. The political turbulence has intensified
concerns about a backslide towards military rule in a
resource-rich but poverty-stricken region.
    Coup leaders in Guinea have not said how long the
transitional government will last, or who will lead it. 
    The junta led by Mamady Doumbouya, a former member of the
French Foreign Legion, is holding consultations this week with
various public figures, groups and business leaders in the
country to map a framework for the transition.
    As part of the four-day consultation, the junta on Thursday
met with Guinea's main business lobby and executives of mining
firms operating in its bauxite, gold, iron ore and diamond
sectors.
    Among the attendees at the talks in Conakry was the general
manager of Guinea's top bauxite producer Société Minière de Boké
(SMB), Frederic Bouzigues.
    "Messages have been exchanged, we indicated our engagement
and our will to reassure all our investors in order to continue
our work, address the challenges that we face," he said, without
sharing details on what was discussed with the junta.
    SMB is owned by a consortium including Singapore shipping
company Winning International Group, Shandong Weiqiao - a
subsidiary of the world's top private sector aluminium producer
China Hongqiao  1378.HK  - and Guinea's UMS International.

 (Reporting by Christian Akorlie; Writing by Cooper Inveen and
Bate Felix; Editing by David Clarke, Andrew Cawthorne and
Marguerita Choy)
 ((cooper.inveen@thomsonreuters.com; +221 78 546 9850;))