Guinea talks enter day 2, more leaders meet junta

The four-day series of talks intending to pave a return to civilian rule in Guinea after a coup entered its second day, with the parties involved seeking to reach a memorandum on the way forward.

Coup leader Lieutenant Colonel Mamady Doumbouya told attendees the coup was the result of “the failure of the entire political and military class”, according to Sidya Toure, a former prime minister who was at the meeting.

Opposition party leaders who came to the heavily guarded People’s Palace for the meeting, however, publicly backed the coup and laid more criticism on ousted President Alpha Conde.

Ousmane Kaba, leader of the opposition Party of Democrats for Hope, called that bid by Conde to stay in power beyond his mandate a coup as well.

The junta, which has come under intense diplomatic pressure since seizing power on September 5 from president Alpha Conde, later held talks with religious leaders.

It will then meet civil-society figures, diplomats, trade unionists and mining executives through to Friday.

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