Conte reshuffles government, gives trusted aide top job

President Lansana Conte has reshuffled the government of Guinea, appointing a longtime trusted aide to the top cabinet post and bringing back several onetime ministers. The reshuffle, announced on state radio and television on Monday evening, comes almost two months after the sacking of reformist prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo, 5 April, and Radio France Internationale said it marked a return of the old guard in Guinea, where Conte has been in office for 22 years. No new prime minister was immediately named, but instead the decree restructured government by creating six large ministries of state, practically super ministries. Fode Bangoura, former secretary-general at the presidency, who has ministerial rank, was appointed to head the powerful Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs. The ministry will coordinate government and include the Defence ministry and Economic and Financial Control ministry. Bangoura has been close to Conte for years. The other five ministries of state include Home Affairs, to be headed by a former minister Moussa Solano and Foreign Affairs to be held by another former minister Mamady Conte. The ministry of state for Economy and Finance is to be headed by a member of the outgoing government, Madikaba Camara, while the Public Works portfolio was handed to Bahna Sidibe, also a member of the outgoing cabinet. Conte has maintained 17 members of the exiting cabinet and removed 12. The reshuffle comes amid mounting social tension in Guinea, where trade unions are threatening a new general strike to protest against low wages and a soaring cost of living. An unprecedented general strike last February virtually paralysed the West African nation for five days. Last week, the leader of one of the two unions that staged the strike, Ibrahima Fofana, claimed to have foiled an assassination attempt on his life. The news triggered a stop-work protest at Guinean banks. mc/as/ccr