APA-Conakry (Guinea) Under the aegis of religious leaders, talks have resumed between the Guinean government and political activists who have yet again postponed a demonstration originally scheduled for March 15.
By Aboubacar Siddy Diallo
Hope of a frank dialogue has been revived. After the postponement of the March 9 demo, Guinea’s religious authorities succeeded in bringing the transitional government and the opposition political forces around the negotiating table.
The first meeting between the government delegation led by Prime Minister Bernard Goumou and leaders of the forces took place on Monday March 13.
The religious leaders were represented by the Imam of the Faisal Mosque of Conakry, Mamadou Saliou Camara and the Archbishop of the Internal Province of the Anglican Church of Guinea, Jacques Boston.
The Muslim cleric said that political issues were set aside after being seen as divisive.
According to a representative of the Guinean forces, the talks only revolved around the arrest of the coordinator of the Forum of Social Forces, Abdoul Sacko and his deputy by gendarmes.
Released on Saturday evening, the activist, whose arrest was decried by Justice Minister Charles Wright, was heard again by the Gendarmerie’s Judicial Investigations Department on Monday March 13.
During the meeting, the activists demanded that the prosecution of one of its leaders be abandoned.
Pending the outcome of this new round of talks, the activists have decided to postpone their march from March 15 to 20 of the same month.
ASD/ac/lb/as/APA