Issue and Opponent: President of Guinea Lansana Conté had seized power in 1984 through a coup. He was subsequently elected as President for three election cycles. The average price of living had increased dramatically in Guinea despite the country’s resource wealth. In 2006, Transparency International ranked Guinea as the most corrupt country in Africa.
Dilemma Action: In response to the high cost of living and Conté freeing two corruption suspects, the United Trade Union of Guinean Workers (USTG) organized the first part of the 2007 Guinean general strike. The strike began on January 10th and did not end until January 27th. The Union-led movement was able to unite Guinea’s fractured civil society in ways the opposition political parties had not able to for years. The unions were seen as symbolically more important and legitimate because of their role in ending colonization in Guinea. The strike called for Conté to resign, economic reforms that improved wages and the re-imprisonment of the two corruption suspects. Workers stayed home from work and shut down businesses despite the government’s threats to fire workers. Conté’s government also banned rallies, but workers continued to rally. The strike absorbed the support of several organizations in the country, such as the National Council of Civil Society Organization, the Civic Alliance, and both of the two prominent opposition parties. The laborers of the bauxite mines also halted work and stopped production from the mine, thus seriously damaging the economy.
Outcomes: Conté ordered the police to disperse protesters with tear gas and the government banned strikers from television. Presidential troops would go on to arrest several prominent trade unionists. In some occasions, the police opened fire on thousands of demonstrators, killing nearly 60 people in 16 days of protest. Conté did not step down, but agreed to nominate a new PM with delegated executive powers. Conté also agreed to price controls for rice and fuel, as well as a one year ban on food and fuel exportations.