THIS DAY IN HISTORY: 3rd April 1984

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: 3rd April 1984 - one week after the death of Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of Guinea since it's independence in 1958, Lansana Conté led a coup d'état and took over the Presidency. He remained President until his death on 22nd December 2008.

Following Touré's death, the Prime Minister, Louis Lansana Beavogui, served as interim President pending elections. When Conté toppled him the constitution was suspended and all political activity banned. However, in less than one year, Conté was fighting off attempts to overthrown him.

remove him from power – the first led by former prime minister Diarra Traoré, who was executed along with about 100 rebellious soldiers.

Conté, however, was favoured by many in the west as he rejected the Pan African politics of Touré in favour of western International Monetary Fund (IMF) policies which included spending cuts and devaluing the currency.

Conté won multi party elections in 1993, 1998 and 2003 amidst allegations of fraud and corruption. In January 2005 he survived an assassination attempt. However, discontent with Conté's rule grew and there were food riots in Guinea in 2006 and a general strike where thousands of people took to the streets in 2007. Brutal suppression of the strike led to at least 100 people killed.

Conté died on 22nd December 2008. Within hours of the announcement of his death a statement was read on television announcing a coup d'état and the setting up of the National Council for Democracy and Development. The current President of Guinea, Alpha Condé was elected in 2010 amidst a controversial two round voting process which was delayed more than once.

The following video clip is of an interview with Conté:

And this video is a profile of Ahmed Sékou Touré: