Concert for Peace in Conakry

Here is link to a set of photos from Concert pour la paix. Afrique en ligne wrote about it here.




Thanks to Julien Harneis for the photos.

A prayer for peace, in SMS-speak

Here is a message from Faranah, Guinea:

I pray God that peace finally reigns in the country nothing but peace.

It originally came in Guinean SMS-speak this way:

Moi g ne s8 temoin ,mais g pr8 Dieu enfin q la paix régne dans pays rien q la paix.Pref de Faranah

Words of support for CENI

Here's an SMS Alliance Guinea received thanking the Guinean electoral commission:

Mrs de la ceni, merci pour tout ce que vous ferez pour le maintien de la paix en guinee a travers des elections justes et transparentes le 7 nov 10. Le cas echeant vous risquez d'embraser une bonne du pays. Evitons la naissance du terrorisme incontrole dans notre pays qui vit dans une misere qu'il ne merite pas.

A quick translation:

Dear CENI, thank you for everything you do for the maintenance of peace in Guinea through fair and transparent elections on November 7, '10. Where appropriate you may kindle a good country. Beat the birth of terrorism uncontrolled development in our country living in a misery that he does not deserve.

Open Letter to Guinea’s Presidential Candidates by Int'l Crisis Group

The International Crisis Group has issued this Open Letter to Guinea’s Presidential Candidates:

The International Crisis Group is calling on both presidential candidates to refrain from fanning ethnic flames and from any form of violent actions that could undermine the transition and the fragile stability of the country. We particularly call on the candidates to desist from mobilising their supporters with a maximalist all-or-nothing approach and to fully honour the peaceful elections pact signed in Ouagadougou on 3 September 2010. The International Crisis Group would like to take this opportunity to remind both Cellou Dalein Diallo and Alpha Condé that they are responsible for the messages they pass to their supporters.

A message of support for Alliance Guinea

Here is a nice message from a supporter we received the other day quickly translated to English:

Dear friends of guinea alliance, I am with the media all the efforts to provide help Guinea back on the path of democracy which is a basic condition for the stability of the country and its development in all areas. You have provided significant efforts by allowing Guinea and Friends of Guinea to have direct contacts with senior U.S. government officials who have a great influence around the world. I take the opportunity as a private citizen to thank the U.S. Embassy in Guinea for his invaluable efforts made to appease social tension and avoid inter-ethnic confrontations. I hope that your support and friendship with Guinea and will continue. May God bless you!

Here's the original French:

Chers amis d'allianceguinea,je suis avec les medias tous les efforts que fournissez pour aider la Guinée à retrouver la voie de la démocratie qui est une des conditions fondamentales pour la stabilité du pays et pour son dévelopement dans tous les domaines.Vous avez fourni des efforts non négligeables,en permettant aux guinéens et amis de la Guinée d'avoir des contacts directs avec des hauts responsables du gouvernement américain qui ont une influence très grande partout dans le monde.Je profite l'occasion en qualité de simple citoyen pour rémercier l'Ambassade U.S.A en Guinée pour ses efforts inestimables fournis pour appaiser les tensions sociales et d'éviter les confrontations inter-ethniques.Je souhaite que votre soutien et l'amitié avec la Guinée continue et continuera.Que Dieu vous benisse!

Guinean and Int'l civil society calls for restraint

The International Federation for Human Rights has released this statement calling for restraint in Guinea:

The 101 organizations of civil society of Guinea, France, West Africa and internationally condemn the violence and attacks against civilians, human rights defenders and political actors in Guinea. The organizations call on all actors and especially national authorities to exercise restraint and moderation.

The violence that marked the election campaign for the second round of presidential elections and the disproportionate strength of the defense and security that have been responsible for serious human rights violations (assaults, arbitrary arrests and detention, robbery, home invasions) are acts contrary to national law and, as possibly violations of the international law of human rights.

Messages from Guinea Supporting Democracy

As an Alliance Guinea election monitoring volunteer, I have been reviewing SMS messages that Guineans have been sending us about the presidential campaign. One thing that strikes me over and over is that many Guineans remain resolved to support democracy and peace. Of course there are problems, but most news sources ONLY report bad news. That's not the full story.

To give some balance to the purely negative news, here are a couple messages that arrived today in our Ushahidi crowsourcing platform:

JE SOUHAITE TOUJOUR LA PAIX EN GUINÉE,LA RECONSILIATION,MERCI.
[sent November 3, 2010]

Nous nous voulon un ?lection paisible qui se passera sans heine
[sent November 3, 2010]