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Emergency talks on Guinea crisis Guinea plea to end attempted coup
(about 2 hours later)
African Union leaders are meeting over the crisis in Guinea, where mutinous troops said they had seized power after the death of President Lansana Conte. The head of Guinea's national assembly has urged the international community to stop an attempted military coup.
The AU has already condemned the military intervention as a "flagrant violation of the Guinea constitution". "The international community must... prevent the military from interrupting the democratic process," Aboubacar Sompare told Reuters news agency.
Coup spokesman Captain Mussa Dadis Camara said he would head a 32-member national council to run the country. Soldiers said on Tuesday that they had seized power after the death of President Lansana Conte, but the situation remains unclear.
But PM Ahmed Tidiane Souare said the government, protected by loyal troops, was still the legitimate authority. African Union leaders are holding emergency talks on the crisis.
Guinea's neighbours - Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast - are enjoying relative stability after years of conflict, and there are fears any unrest in Guinea could spread. According to Guinea's constitution, Mr Sompare should be in charge of the government until elections are held in 60 days.
The BBC's Alhassan Sillah said soldiers have set up check-points along the main roads into the centre of the capital, Conakry, but the streets are calm. In a telephone interview with Reuters, Mr Sompare said the army was split between loyalists and coup-plotters.
Oppressive rule
The situation in Conakry remains unclear.
The US embassy in there said the situation was "fluid and uncertain", the Associated Press news agency reported.
Hours after President Conte's death, Capt Camara went on state radio to say the government and other institutions had been dissolved in favour of a National Council for Democracy.
The plotters said elections would be held within 60 days and an interim president and prime minister would be appointed.
Lansana Conte seized power in 1984 and won three controversial elections Fear in Guinea at army takeover'End of misrule'Obituary: Guinea's Lansana ConteGuinea army statement in fullLansana Conte seized power in 1984 and won three controversial elections Fear in Guinea at army takeover'End of misrule'Obituary: Guinea's Lansana ConteGuinea army statement in full
However, there appears to be disagreement among the plotters as to whether Capt Camara should head the new national council. "The situation hasn't been resolved yet. Loyalists and coup-mongers have met... but they haven't been able to reach an agreement," Mr Sompare said.
Meanwhile, Guinea's armed forces chief, Gen Diarra Camara, told French TV station France 24 that the coup leaders did not represent most troops. But in a statement on national radio, coup leaders accused loyalist troops of seeking "the intervention of foreign mercenaries from neighbouring countries".
National Assembly Speaker Aboubacar Sompare, who according to Guinea's constitution should be in charge until elections are held, also said he did not think the entire military backed the putsch plot. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ahmed Tidiane Souare has said the government, protected by loyal troops, was still the legitimate authority.
But a military source told the BBC's Alhassan Sillah that only a small minority of soldiers were opposing a military takeover and that coup leaders were trying to win them over at a meeting in Conakry. There are tanks on the streets of Conakry, but for the moment the city is calm.
The BBC's Will Ross says many analysts had predicted the army would try to take over following Mr Conte's death because he had been increasingly relying on it to shore up his oppressive rule. A power struggle in the army could be extremely dangerous given the country's ethnic divisions, says the BBC's West Africa correspondent Will Ross.
In recent years he was in such poor health it was often difficult to know who was in charge. Guinea's neighbours - Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast - are enjoying relative stability after years of conflict, and there are fears any unrest in Guinea could spread.
However, a power struggle in the army could be extremely dangerous given the country's ethnic divisions, our correspondent says. Elections pledge
'Long illness' The crisis began hours after the death of President Conte, when coup spokesman Capt Mussa Dadis Camara went on state radio to say that the government and other institutions had been dissolved in favour of a National Council for Democracy.
President Conte, who ruled the West African country with an iron fist for 24 years, died on Monday night after a "long illness", it was announced in the early hours of Tuesday. He said he would head a 32-member national council that would run the country.
HAVE YOUR SAYWe need a change, change that will benefit all Guineans. We pray for a good leaderAmara, NzerekoreSend us your commentsHAVE YOUR SAYWe need a change, change that will benefit all Guineans. We pray for a good leaderAmara, NzerekoreSend us your comments
Later, he said the council would hold "free, credible and transparent elections" in December 2010, when President Conte's term would have ended.
"The council has no ambitions to hold on to power. The only reason is the need to safeguard territorial integrity. That is the only reason. There is no ulterior motive," he said.
However, there also appears to be disagreement among the plotters as to whether Capt Camara should head the new national council.
Many analysts had predicted the army would try to take over following President Conte's death because he had been increasingly relying on it to shore up his oppressive rule, our correspondent says.
In recent years he was in such poor health it was often difficult to know who was in charge.
President Conte died on Monday night after a "long illness".
The cause of his death is unknown, but Mr Conte, 74, was a chain-smoker and diabetic who is also believed to have suffered from leukaemia.The cause of his death is unknown, but Mr Conte, 74, was a chain-smoker and diabetic who is also believed to have suffered from leukaemia.
The African Union, European Union and United States led condemnation of the coup.The African Union, European Union and United States led condemnation of the coup.
Former colonial power France, in its capacity as the current holder of the EU presidency - said it would oppose any attempted putsch in Guinea. Washington called for a "peaceful and democratic transition" in Guinea. Former colonial power France, in its capacity as the current holder of the EU presidency - said it would oppose any attempted putsch in Guinea.
President Conte came to power in 1984 at the head of a military coup to fill the vacuum left by the sudden death of his predecessor, Sekou Toure, who had been president since independence from France in 1958.President Conte came to power in 1984 at the head of a military coup to fill the vacuum left by the sudden death of his predecessor, Sekou Toure, who had been president since independence from France in 1958.
He eventually oversaw a return to civilian rule and was elected three times, although critics said the votes were never free or fair.He eventually oversaw a return to civilian rule and was elected three times, although critics said the votes were never free or fair.
Although Guinea's mineral wealth makes it potentially one of Africa's richest countries, its population of about 10 million is among the poorest in the region.Although Guinea's mineral wealth makes it potentially one of Africa's richest countries, its population of about 10 million is among the poorest in the region.
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