The U.S. embassy in Conakry has removed the countdown launched on its website to keep track of the return to constitutional rule in Guinea.
The announcement was made Tuesday in a statement from the embassy.
“We have removed the countdown to allow the Guinean people to focus on the important work of completing the items on the 24-month transition timeline,” the statement explained, saying the move was intended to “celebrate the transition process and the day constitutional order is restored in Guinea.”
Through the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Guineans Living Abroad, the transition authorities protested the initiative, reminding the Americans that Guinea is a sovereign country.
The head of Guinean diplomacy added that he had told embassy officials that the countdown had no reason to exist.
“For more than 60 years, the United States has been a partner and friend of the Guinean people. The current transition is an opportunity to create a democracy that works for all Guineans, through a Guinean-led process,” the U.S. embassy said.
In January, the U.S. ambassador announced $15 million in assistance to Guinea to support the process leading to a return to democratic constitutional rule.
After the September 5, 2021 coup, Guinea and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) agreed to a 24-month transition, beginning in January 2023.
ASD/ac/fss/as/APA