Military coup in Guinea after death of dictator

A group calling itself the National Council for Democracy today announced that Guinea’s government has been dissolved.

In what appears to be a coup d’etat, a spokesman appeared on television wearing a military uniform and read the statement saying the government, including the constitution, courts and the parliament had been dissolved.

He did not state his name or rank.

The announcement comes just six hours after officials declared the death of Guinea’s dictator, Lansana Conte, who had been suffering from health problems for a long time.

Conte ruled Guinea with an iron fist since grabbing power in a 1984 coup. No-one knows his exact date of birth, but he was believed to be around 70.

The constitution calls for the president of the National Assembly to be sworn in as the country’s next president.