military rule
Instability in Africa: Guinea Unrest
I have been working to expand the focus of Culture Kitchen to include more international issues. I am hoping to have some bloggers from African nations on board soon, if all goes well. In the meantime, a friend sent me the following story. At first it may seem inconsequential to Americans that the nation of Guinea is on the verge of chaos, but when it is realized that Guinea has been seen as a stabilizing force amid the horrors of Liberal and Sierra Leone, this development is disturbing.
A new flashpoint is emerging in Africa. Here is BBC News' description of the African nation of Guinea:
Ruled by strong-arm leaders since independence, Guinea has been seen as a bulwark against instability in neighbouring Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast. However it has also been implicated in the conflicts that have ravaged the region.
That "bulwark against instability" seems to be tottering dangerously. A general strike, now in its second week, and unrest, opposed by some violent attacks from the military is spreading through the capital as opposition forces call for the resignation of the nation's strongman leader.
You can read one man's description of the unrest here.
First some background. According to the CIA factbook:
military rule | protests
