Guinea’s Cellou Baldé arrested, taken to an unknown destination

A member of Guinea’s ruling junta was arrested Monday in Conakry by police who took him to an “unknown” destination, his party, the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea said.

“Cellou Baldé had just come out of a meeting” in the suburbs of Conakry, Mamadou Maladho Diallo, national treasurer of the UFDG, told AFP.

The junta’s critic in Guinea was arrested after being “followed by two gendarmerie pickups” and was then “driven to an unknown destination,” he added.

No confirmation of his arrest could be obtained from the gendarmerie.

Cellou Baldé is the representative in the Labé region (north) of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), the main party in Guinea, led by former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo.

He has been abroad for months and has been summoned to appear before a special anti-corruption court set up by the junta of Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who overthrew President Alpha Conde in 2021.

After overthrowing Mr. Conde, Colonel Doumbouya has since made himself president and pledged to hand over power to elected civilians within three years, against the advice of opposition forces in Guinea and leaders of West African states who are calling for a shorter period.

The ruling junta dissolved the FNDC on August 6, a group that called for a “peaceful citizen demonstration” on October 20 in Conakry and October 26 throughout the country.

The FNDC and what remains of the opposition denounced the seizure of power, the repression of dissenting voices, and the use of the justice system, while several former officials are in prison.