- Nigeria, ECOWAS, African Union, US, UN react
Soldiers who seized power in Guinea on Sunday have ordered government ministers and national figures to attend a meeting later on Monday.
The special forces officers warned that anybody who failed to appear would be regarded as a rebel.
In a broadcast on state TV, they said regional governors have been replaced by military commanders, and the ousted president, Alpha Condé, was safe but in detention.
An indefinite nationwide curfew is in force.
The coup has been condemned by the United Nations and African Union.
The head of Special Forces, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, said his soldiers had seized power because they want to end rampant corruption and mismanagement.
Nigeria had in a statement on Sunday said “it is saddened by the apparent coup d’etat in the Republic of Guinea, in clear violation of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
“The government of Nigeria strongly condemns and rejects any unconstitutional change of government and therefore, calls on those behind this coup to restore constitutional order without delay and protect all lives and property.”
The United States has issued a statement “on the military seizure” condemning the apparent coup in Guinea.
It asked parties to stop violence and stand by the rule of the law.
The US Department of State said “violence and any extra-constitutional measures will only erode Guinea’s prospects for peace, stability, and prosperity”.
It emphasised a process of national dialogue to “sustainably and transparently” address any concerns in order to find a peaceful and democratic solution.
The West African economic bloc, ECOWAS, had also condemned the “coup attempt” and affirmed “its disapproval of any unconstitutional political change”.
It demanded the respect of President Condé as well as his unconditional release and of those arrested alongside him.
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres and the African Union have already condemned the coup and demanded the immediate release of President Condé. (BBC and agencies)
