Government bans opposition conference, denies entry to foreign participants

The government of Guinea has banned five foreign politicians from entering Guinea to attend a conference on democracy organised by veteran opposition leader Alpha Conde. It has also prevented the conference itself from taking place. Conde arrived at Conakry airport on Sunday on a flight from Senegal with the dignatories, who included Mustapha Nyass, the former prime minister of Senegal, Mamadu Yusufu, the former prime minister of Niger, Paulo Jorge, a former foreign minister of Angola and a French Socialist Party representative. But immigration officials refused to allow the foreign politicians entry to Guinea and they were forced to leave on the same aircraft. Eyewitnesses said supporters of Conde's Rally of the Guinean People party (RPG) subsequently clashed with police who fired tear gas cannisters into the crowd. The protestors responded by throwing bricks and stones, they added. Several people were arrested and the RPG said 58 of its members were hurt in the confrontation. The foreign politicians had been invited by Conde to attend an RPG conference on "Democratic change and the role of political parties," which was due to have started in Conakry on Monday. However, government officials said on Monday the meeting had been banned. One official at the Ministry of the Interior told reporters: "The government was not sufficiently informed about the conference, especially the invitation of foreign politicians". Conde said the government action was shameful and showed "the repressive nature of democracy in this country." The fracas was the latest of several incidents to take place as Guinea gears up for presidential elections in December, when President Lansana Conte is expected to seek a fresh term. Conte, 68, came to power in a military coup in 1984 and legalised opposition parties in the early 1990s. Two years ago, a referendum was held that changed the constitution to allow him to serve a third term. It also increased the length of the presidential term from five to seven years. Conte, who has been ill for some time with diabetes and heart trouble, is expected to face a challenge from Conde and from Sidya Toure, who was prime minister from 1996 to 1998. Opposition parties have alleged that previous elections held during Conte's 19-year rule were heavily rigged, They have formed an umbrella organisation known as FRAD ( Republican Front for Democratic Change) to try and prevent fraud in this year's vote.