Lansana Kouyate
Encyclopedia
Lansana Kouyaté is a Guinea
n diplomat and political figure who served as Prime Minister of Guinea
from 2007 to 2008.
, then a French
colony. He studied administration at the University of Conakry before joining the civil service
. In 1976, he was appointed as Director of Labour, then the following year, moved to become Director of Trade, Prices and Statistics, where he had responsibility for state-owned companies. http://62.210.150.98/lusaka/newslatf.asp?code=eng004651&dte=04/06/01
In 1982, Kouyaté worked on a rice
development project, then moved to the diplomat
ic service, joining Guinea's delegation in Cote d'Ivoire
. In 1985, he returned to the Foreign Ministry in Conakry
as head of African and Organisation of African Unity affairs. Two years later, he became Guinea's ambassador to Egypt
, Jordan
, Lebanon
, Sudan
, Syria
and Turkey
. In 1992, he became Guinea's Permanent Representative at the United Nations
, where he became Vice President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council
. http://62.210.150.98/lusaka/newslatf.asp?code=eng004651&dte=04/06/01
In 1993, he was appointed as the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Somalia
for the UNOSOM II
mission, then in February 1994 became the Acting Representative. http://www.un.org/Depts/DPKO/Missions/unosom2b.htm In June 1994, he became the Assistant Secretary-General in the UN Department of Political Affairs, http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/vol11no3/watch.htm one of his first missions being a tour around ECOWAS member states to discuss the situation in Liberia
. He continued his involvement in discussions to build regional support for a resolution of the First Liberian Civil War. http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/co_mission/unomilFT.htm He left this job in September 1997 to become the Executive Secretary of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), a post he held until February 2002.
During his time at ECOWAS, Kouyaté was awarded the Legion d'Honneur
(Commander), the African Star of Liberia and was made a Commander of the Mono Order of Togo
. http://62.210.150.98/lusaka/newslatf.asp?code=eng004651&dte=04/06/01
in early 2007, Kouyaté was nominated to the post of Prime Minister of Guinea on 26 February 2007. He was selected by President Lansana Conté
from a list provided by trade union leaders. On 1 March, he was sworn in as Prime Minister at a ceremony in Conakry
; Conté was not present. His government was named on March 28, composed of 19 ministers and three secretaries of state; it contained none of the members of the old government.
On December 5, 2007, a decree restructuring ministries increased the powers of the Secretary-General of the Presidency at the expense of those of the Prime Minister, and on January 3, 2008 Conté dismissed and replaced Justin Morel Junior, the Minister of Communication and Government Spokesman, without consulting Kouyaté. On January 4, Kouyaté demanded that Morel be restored to his position and said that he would not sit at the Council of Ministers with Morel's replacement. Labor unions announced plans to begin a new "unlimited general strike" on January 10, demanding that Conté's agreement with the unions be properly implemented and that Morel be restored. Kouyaté's government chose to attempt to resolve the situation through dialogue with Conté in hopes of maintaining peace. On January 9, the unions withdrew their call for a strike.
Tensions between Kouyaté and Conté increased over the decision by Kouyaté's government to repatriate Chantal Cole, Conté's advisor in charge of communications at the presidential palace, to France; in addition, they disagreed over Kouyaté's decision to allow Libyans to manage luxury hotels.
. This was considered surprising; it had been generally believed that Kouyaté would not be dismissed prior to the planned December 2008 parliamentary election. Following the announcement, protests were reported in Conakry and Kouroussa
, although the cities were reportedly calm again by May 21; protests were also reported in Kankan
on May 20 and May 21.
Kouyaté was widely considered a disappointment in his role as Prime Minister, and his unpopularity meant that his dismissal was not greeted with major unrest of the kind that led to his appointment a year earlier; in particular, his time in office was associated with rising food prices, deepening the country's economic problems. He was also accused of having presidential ambitions. Because he had not consulted with the opposition when forming his government and had not invited opposition politicians to participate in it, the opposition welcomed his dismissal and urged Souaré to avoid his mistakes. The Secretary-General of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea
(UFDG), Amadou Oury Bah, described Kouyaté as "a danger to the democratic process". One union leader, Rabiatou Serah Diallo, said that until the composition of Souaré's government was announced, she had nothing to say. Souaré was sworn in on May 23; Kouyaté was not present at the ceremony, as he was unable to leave his home due to a crowd of supporters outside of it.
Many soldiers, dissatisfied over their failure to receive wage arrears, were unhappy with Kouyaté's dismissal, feeling that it left them with no one to whom they could address their grievances. On May 26, 2008, unrest broke out among the soldiers as they demanded their wage arrears.
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
n diplomat and political figure who served as Prime Minister of Guinea
Heads of government of Guinea
-List of Heads of Government of Guinea:-Affiliations:-See also:*Guinea**Heads of State of Guinea**Colonial Heads of Guinea*Lists of incumbents-External links:Government *...
from 2007 to 2008.
Background and earlier career
Kouyaté was born in Koba, GuineaGuinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, then a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
colony. He studied administration at the University of Conakry before joining the civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
. In 1976, he was appointed as Director of Labour, then the following year, moved to become Director of Trade, Prices and Statistics, where he had responsibility for state-owned companies. http://62.210.150.98/lusaka/newslatf.asp?code=eng004651&dte=04/06/01
In 1982, Kouyaté worked on a rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
development project, then moved to the diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
ic service, joining Guinea's delegation in Cote d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
. In 1985, he returned to the Foreign Ministry in Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
as head of African and Organisation of African Unity affairs. Two years later, he became Guinea's ambassador to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. In 1992, he became Guinea's Permanent Representative at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, where he became Vice President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council
United Nations Economic and Social Council
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations constitutes one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions...
. http://62.210.150.98/lusaka/newslatf.asp?code=eng004651&dte=04/06/01
In 1993, he was appointed as the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
for the UNOSOM II
UNOSOM II
United Nations Operation in Somalia II was the second phase of the United Nations intervention in Somalia, from March 1993 until March 1995....
mission, then in February 1994 became the Acting Representative. http://www.un.org/Depts/DPKO/Missions/unosom2b.htm In June 1994, he became the Assistant Secretary-General in the UN Department of Political Affairs, http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/vol11no3/watch.htm one of his first missions being a tour around ECOWAS member states to discuss the situation in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
. He continued his involvement in discussions to build regional support for a resolution of the First Liberian Civil War. http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/co_mission/unomilFT.htm He left this job in September 1997 to become the Executive Secretary of the Economic Community of West African States
Economic Community of West African States
The Economic Community of West African States is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region....
(ECOWAS), a post he held until February 2002.
During his time at ECOWAS, Kouyaté was awarded the Legion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(Commander), the African Star of Liberia and was made a Commander of the Mono Order of Togo
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
. http://62.210.150.98/lusaka/newslatf.asp?code=eng004651&dte=04/06/01
Prime minister
As a result of a general strike2007 Guinean general strike
The 2007 Guinean general strike began on January 10, 2007. Guinea's trade unions and opposition parties called on President Lansana Conté to resign, accusing him of mismanaging the economy and abusing his authority. The strikers also accused Conté of personally securing the release of Mamadou...
in early 2007, Kouyaté was nominated to the post of Prime Minister of Guinea on 26 February 2007. He was selected by President Lansana Conté
Lansana Conté
Lansana Conté was the second President of Guinea from 3 April 1984 until his death. He was a Muslim and a member of the Susu ethnic group.-Early life:...
from a list provided by trade union leaders. On 1 March, he was sworn in as Prime Minister at a ceremony in Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
; Conté was not present. His government was named on March 28, composed of 19 ministers and three secretaries of state; it contained none of the members of the old government.
On December 5, 2007, a decree restructuring ministries increased the powers of the Secretary-General of the Presidency at the expense of those of the Prime Minister, and on January 3, 2008 Conté dismissed and replaced Justin Morel Junior, the Minister of Communication and Government Spokesman, without consulting Kouyaté. On January 4, Kouyaté demanded that Morel be restored to his position and said that he would not sit at the Council of Ministers with Morel's replacement. Labor unions announced plans to begin a new "unlimited general strike" on January 10, demanding that Conté's agreement with the unions be properly implemented and that Morel be restored. Kouyaté's government chose to attempt to resolve the situation through dialogue with Conté in hopes of maintaining peace. On January 9, the unions withdrew their call for a strike.
Tensions between Kouyaté and Conté increased over the decision by Kouyaté's government to repatriate Chantal Cole, Conté's advisor in charge of communications at the presidential palace, to France; in addition, they disagreed over Kouyaté's decision to allow Libyans to manage luxury hotels.
Dismissal and subsequent events
In a decree read on state television on May 20, 2008, Kouyaté was dismissed by Conté and replaced by Ahmed Tidiane SouaréAhmed Tidiane Souaré
Ahmed Tidiane Souaré is a Guinean political figure who was the Prime Minister of Guinea from May 2008 to December 2008, when he was replaced by Kabine Komara following a military coup d'état.-Career in state administration and the government:...
. This was considered surprising; it had been generally believed that Kouyaté would not be dismissed prior to the planned December 2008 parliamentary election. Following the announcement, protests were reported in Conakry and Kouroussa
Kouroussa
Kouroussa is a town located in northwestern Guinea, and is the capital of Kouroussa Prefecture. In 2008 it had an estimated population 10,165...
, although the cities were reportedly calm again by May 21; protests were also reported in Kankan
Kankan
Kankan is the largest city in Guinea in land area, and the third largest in population at 207,790 . The city is located on the Milo River in eastern Guinea and lying about 345 miles east of Conakry....
on May 20 and May 21.
Kouyaté was widely considered a disappointment in his role as Prime Minister, and his unpopularity meant that his dismissal was not greeted with major unrest of the kind that led to his appointment a year earlier; in particular, his time in office was associated with rising food prices, deepening the country's economic problems. He was also accused of having presidential ambitions. Because he had not consulted with the opposition when forming his government and had not invited opposition politicians to participate in it, the opposition welcomed his dismissal and urged Souaré to avoid his mistakes. The Secretary-General of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea
Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea
The Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea is a political party in Guinea.The party was founded in October 2002 by the section of Union for Progress and Renewal which boycotted that year's parliamentary election. Its first president was Mamadou Ba...
(UFDG), Amadou Oury Bah, described Kouyaté as "a danger to the democratic process". One union leader, Rabiatou Serah Diallo, said that until the composition of Souaré's government was announced, she had nothing to say. Souaré was sworn in on May 23; Kouyaté was not present at the ceremony, as he was unable to leave his home due to a crowd of supporters outside of it.
Many soldiers, dissatisfied over their failure to receive wage arrears, were unhappy with Kouyaté's dismissal, feeling that it left them with no one to whom they could address their grievances. On May 26, 2008, unrest broke out among the soldiers as they demanded their wage arrears.