Guinea refuses to allow deposed president to leave the country

CONAKRY, South Africa

Guinea’s military junta said on Friday it would not bow to regional pressure and allow President Alpha Conde, detained since his overthrow on Sept. 5, to leave the country.

On Friday Ivory Coast’s President, Alassane Ouattara, and Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo paid a one-day visit to Conakry to ask coup leader Mamady Doumbouya, a special forces commander and former French Legionnaire, for Conde’s release.

Ouattara had been hoping to leave Guinea with Conde, a senior regional government official told Reuters.

"The former president is and remains in Guinea. We will not yield to any pressure,” the junta said in a statement read on state TV.

Ouattara told Radio-Télévision Guinéenne (RTG) at Conakry airport before leaving: “I met my brother Alpha Conde, who is doing well. We will remain in contact.”

Akufo-Addo told RTG: “We’ve had a very frank and fraternal meeting with Doumbouya and his collaborators. I think that ECOWAS and Guinea are going to find the best way to move forward together.”

ECOWAS has demanded a return to constitutional rule since the special forces unit seized control of the presidential palace, detained Conde, and declared itself in charge.

The bloc agreed on Thursday to freeze the financial assets of the junta and their relatives and bar them from traveling. The junta has not responded.