West African leaders went into a crisis meeting Wednesday in the wake of the weekend coup in Guinea that toppled octogenarian president Alpha Conde, calling it a “clear violation” of a regional charter.
Special forces led by Lieutenant Colonel Mamady Doumbouya seized power in the mineral-rich but impoverished West African country on Sunday and arrested the president, sparking international condemnation.
Conde, 83, had come under increasing fire for perceived authoritarianism, with dozens of opposition activists arrested after a violently disputed election last year.
But the putsch in Guinea has sparked fears of democratic backsliding across West Africa — where military strongmen are an increasingly familiar sight.
It has drawn parallels with its neighbour Mali: the Sahel state has suffered two coups since August last year led by Colonel Assimi Goita, who was also a special forces commander.
Government leaders from the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)…