Guinea

Abstract

The government of President Alpha Condé made progress in addressing the serious governance and human rights problems that characterized Guinea for more than five decades. However, gains in promoting the rule of law and development could be reversed by the 2015 presidential elections, a major trigger for unrest and state-sponsored abuse; lingering ethnic tension; and the Ebola crisis, which appears to have originated in the country's forest region.The successful completion in 2013 of parliamentary elections advanced Guinea's transition from authoritarian to democratic rule, mitigated the concentration of power in the executive branch, and led to a drastic reduction in violent political unrest and state-sponsored abuses. However, local elections scheduled for 2014 failed to take place, which periodically stoked political tensions. There were also regular protests over electricity cuts, as well as several lethal incidents of communal violence.Reports of human rights violations by security forces declined significantly. However, security forces were implicated in numerous incidents of excessive use of force and unprofessional conduct as they responded to criminal acts and protests, resulting in several deaths.Fear of Ebola led to unrest and attacks on health workers and treatment centers in southeastern Guinea, where the outbreak emerged in early 2014: in one such attack, a mob murdered eight health workers and journalists. At years end, the outbreak had killed more than 1,000 Guineans. The Ebola crisis led to deterioration in the right to basic healthcare and a significant economic downturn.