Guinea: UN Advises Against Hate Speech

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 08:19 am

As Guinea elections approaches the United Nations (UN) has advised against the use of ethnic hate speach in the wake of the forthcoming presidential election.

Wanindara, a predominantly Fulani suburb of Guinea’s capital Conakry, few say they will vote for Alpha Conde, the 82-year-old bidding for a controversial 1/3 presidential time period on Sunday.

But notwithstanding the West African state’s ethnic cleavages – which come to the fore during election season – few in Wanindara say that crew allegiance determines their vote.

Sitting in a kiosk in the dusty suburb, 24-year-old SIM card seller Abdourahmane Bah says he will vote for opposition candidate Cellou Dalein Diallo.

“We will now not vote for him due to the fact he is Fulani and the majority of Wanindara is Fulani, however because we favor any person who reconciles the humans of Guinea,” he said.

The suburb, amongst other areas of the former French colony, has been the scene of violent clashes between protesters and safety forces for months over opposition to a 1/3 term for Conde.

In March, the president pushed via a revamped charter that he said would modernise the country, but which has also allowed him to ignore the two-term presidential limit.

(AFP)