New round of anti-Conde protests as Guinea's divisive referendum looms

Closed shops and empty roads were witnessed across much of the Guinean capital Conakry on Wednesday amid an opposition call for resistance against an upcoming constitutional referendum.

The town was deserted after a call by the National Front for the Defense of the Constitution as a new citizen resistance against the proposed new amendments to the constitution.

The demonstration resumed after a break of a few weeks in the run-up to the March 1 constitutional referendum. However, the protests were not well attended in some parts of the country.

A protester told the media: “There are a lot of problems in Guinea currently. Even our children can’t go to school. But we don’t know what’s going on. The FNDC people too, every day it’s just a mess. If it’s not a mess, it’s still a mess, we’re fed up with it.”

But while some say they are tired of the repeated demonstrations against President Condé‘s desire to run for a third term, others still support him.

“I support the FNDC because I’m Guinean and I don’t want him to run for the 3rd term, it’s not good for Guineans,” another protester added.

A few days ago, President Alpha Condé opened the door to a possible candidacy for a third term. something prohibited in the current fundamental law.