Guinea’s Military Leader, Gen Mamadi Doumbouya, center , with key loyalists

Abubakar Hashim/ Neighbouring Sierra Leone

Barely a week after the Gen Mamadi Doumbouya- led military junta dissolved the transitional government, without a reason, a confederation of main unions has embarked on a threw-day strike.

The strike, which commenced on Monday and ends today, is aimed at the immediate release of prominent media activists, lower food prices and bring an end to media censorship.

Schools, shops, markets and roads were empty in Conakry, the capital, with hospitals offering skeletal services.

Sporadic clashes broke out between military personnel and the protesters, resulting in two dead and more may still die as clashes continue today.

The strike was mainly triggered by the unexplained dissolution of the cabinet, with passports of ministers seized, their bank accounts frozen and borders closed.

The military junta had been in office since July 2022. Since the junta leader, Gen Doumbouya took power in September 2021 coup, protests have been rare. He has not spoken since the beginning of the year.

There was a deadly fire explosion at the country’s main oil depot in December, 2023, which resulted in the death of eught people and scores were burnt, paralysing Guinea’s economy for weeks.

The military junta banned all demonstrations in 2022, arrested several opposition leaders, civil society members and journalists.

The confederation of unions are now calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Sekou Jamal Pendessa, Secretary General of Press Professionals of Guinea SPPG, who was arrested in January 2024, for participating in “ unauthorised protest”. Pendessa was sentenced last Friday to 6 months in prison.

Since then, Guinea has descended into a point, where, even government officials are openly backing the ongoing strike and protest.

The strike has paralysed Guinea’s economic life wire, the mining sector and has plunged the country into chaos and uncertainty.

The lifting of sanctions by ECOWAS few days ago on the country, together with Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, has yet to materialise in the economic welfare of Guineans.