Guinea leader tells army to 'take all necessary measures'

President Lansana Conte declared a state of emergency in Guinea tonight, announcing in a broadcast on state radio and television he had ordered the army to "take all necessary measures" to restore order after three days of violent protests.

The death toll from rioting and clashes with security forces reached at least 27 and the West African country's major trade unions called for Conte to step down after his apparent violation of a power-sharing agreement.

Gangs of machete-wielding youths roamed the streets of Guinea's capital amid sporadic gunfire today. Rioting started on Saturday following President Lansana Conte's appointment of a close ally from his Cabinet as prime minister. The move angered many who said he side-stepped a power-sharing agreement by naming a confidant.

Today, residents reported hearing gunshots at the Alpha Yaya military base on Conakry's outskirts, and smoke - possibly from barricades of burning tyres - rose over parts of the city.

Groups of youths armed with machetes marched in streets, shouting for change in protests that were broadcast by Guinea's FM Liberty radio station. Security forces blocked roads leading into the centre of Conakry, where the government is based.

No flights have landed or taken off at Conakry's airport since Saturday.

The tumult followed calls by unions for people to take to the streets and demand that Conte resign.

At least 11 people died in Saturday's violence, according to medical officials and witnesses.

Sixteen more bodies of people killed in the fighting were brought to Conakry's main morgue today, said Hassan Bah, the director of the city's Ignace Deen hospital.

Leaders of the political opposition put Saturday's figure at more than 30 and Conakry's League of Human Rights said it had tallied 57 deaths in the interior of the country from reports by its local representatives.

Last month, a two-week national strike brought Guinea to an economic standstill and quickly spiralled into violence as protesters clashed with security forces. At least 59 people were killed in that unrest.

Union leaders called off the strike after Conte agreed to appoint a consensus prime minister who was not a current member of his government. The post had been left vacant since Conte fired Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo in April.

Conte, who seized power in a 1984 coup, named Eugene Camara, a Cabinet member since 1997, to the post on Friday. Camara served most recently as minister for presidential affairs.

The next day, protesters took to the streets, throwing rocks and ransacking government buildings. Security forces fired into the crowds.

Looters tore through a number of buildings, including government offices and the homes of diplomats, over the weekend. A villa owned by the president of neighbouring Guinea-Bissau was also emptied, said one witness, Ovid Kourouma.