Guinea’s new First Lady is a French woman;  ECOWAS suspends country’s membership, sends mission to Conakry

Accra, Sept. 9, 2021

A mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will on Thursday visit Guinea which has been gripped by a military coup, according to a communique issued late Wednesday.

The communique was issued after a virtual meeting of the organisation, convened by ECOWAS Chairman Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to discuss the political developments in the country.

The communique said the visit of the ECOWAS mission would be led by Ghanaian Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey with representatives from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and the ECOWAS Commission.

The bloc also decided to suspend the membership of Guinea and called for the immediate restoration of civil rule in the country.

“The authority expresses deep concern over the political developments in the Republic of Guinea following the coup d’etat of Sept. 5, 2021 and their consequences for regional peace and stability,” the communique said.

The regional bloc demanded the immediate restoration of civilian rule in Guinea, adding that the “defense and security forces should maintain a constitutional posture.”

It reaffirmed its strong opposition to any political change by unconstitutional means and condemned, in the strongest terms, this coup in Guinea.

The communique added that an ECOWAS mission led by Ghanaian Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey with representatives from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and the ECOWAS Commission would visit Guinea on Thursday

On Sunday, Mamady Doumbouya, a lieutenant-colonel, announced that his forces had arrested Guinea’s President Alpha Conde and dissolved the government and national institutions.