Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Conakry (Agenzia Fides) – “The Republic of Guinea has celebrated 50 years of independence amidst uncertainty and expectation for a better future. The absence of the Chief of State, Lansana Conte, at the official ceremonies, and the fact that his wife and not the Prime Minister (as is called for by protocol) stood-in for him, is yet another demonstration that shows that we are not a true democracy, but a family-run regime,” Fides was told by a local source of the Catholic Church in Conakry, Guinea’s capital, where yesterday, October 2, the country celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence from France. Present at the official ceremony, which began considerably behind schedule, were the Presidents of 7 African nations, but not the President of Guinea, something which has raised eyebrows as to the elderly President’s health and who will succeed him.
Archbishop Vincent Coulibaly of Conakry celebrated a Mass on the anniversary, which was attended by several of the country’s politicians. “In the homily, Archbishop Coulibaly quoted Isaiah 6 about the Lord who hopes that his vineyard will bear good fruits. It was a way of pointing out that after 50 years, the people of Guinea are still waiting for an improvement in living conditions and are ardently hoping for a better future,” our source explained. “The Archbishop of Conakry also mentioned the national motto: ‘work, justice, and solidarity,’ and the theme of the upcoming Synod of Africa, ‘justice, reconciliation, and peace,’ asking all to reflect on how well these values are respected in the country.”
In 1958, the decision made by nationalist leader and future first President of Guinea, Ahmed Sékou Touré, to reject the entrance of the “Communauté franco-africaine” (according to which the African colonies would have to concur on the new French Constitution presented by Charles De Gaulle) led to surprise in the West and hope for other African nations. “We prefer poverty in freedom to wealth in slavery,” said the then young leader to the French President. After Ghana (which gained its independence from Great Britain in 1957), Guinea was the second sub-Saharan African country to gain independence. Guinea’s example was followed two years later, in 1960 (it is no coincidence that it is called “the year of Africa”) by the majority of the French colonies in Africa, who decided they wanted to be independent from Paris.
However, the former colonies’ dependence continued under another form, as in the majority of the countries, the governing power was assumed by dictators or the independence fighters themselves, who set themselves up as “father-owner” of the nation, favoring dictatorship, corruption, and economic interests of industrial and financial groups from Europe. Guinea was no exception. After being elected President, Sékou Touré established a basically totalitarian regime, based on the model of the Communist countries, which has been responsible for the death of 50,000 people and the flight of hundreds of thousands more. After his death in 1984, the government fell into the hands of Lansana Conte. The country now has more freedom in general, however the economic crisis resulting from corruption and from the misuse of the country’s many resources (such as bauxite, iron, ore, uranium, and fertile soil), has made Guinea one of the poorest nations in the world. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 03/10/2008)
