Cellou Dalein Diallo
Encyclopedia
Cellou Dalein Diallo is a Guinea
n economist and politician who was Prime Minister of Guinea from 2004 to 2006. Currently he is President of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea
(UFDG), an opposition party.
ethnic group, was born in Labé
. He studied at the University of Conakry and the Center for Financial, Economic and Banking Studies in Paris
, and in 1976 he became an inspector of trade. He began working at the Bank of Foreign Trade of Guinea in 1982, and from 1985 to 1995 he worked at the Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea
.
After briefly working at the Administration and Control of Great Projects (l’Administration et Contrôle des Grands Projets, ACGP), Diallo joined the government in July 1996 as Minister of Transport, Telecommunications and Tourism. He was subsequently moved to the position of Minister of Infrastructure in October 1997, where he remained until he was appointed as Minister of Public Works and Transport on March 12, 1999. After UTA Flight 141
, a flight from Guinea, crashed in Cotonou
, Benin
in December 2003, Diallo said that there was no proof that his ministry had been neglectful of safety and that he would not resign. Diallo served for five years as Minister of Public Works and Transport before being moved to the position of Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture on February 23, 2004.
. The position of Prime Minister had previously been vacant since April 2004. Diallo took office as Prime Minister on December 13.
Diallo—who speaks English
in addition to French
—played a role in the Conte regime. However, allegation of corruption coupled with disagreements with Conté's top associates, particularly Fodé Bangoura
, the Secretary-General of the Presidency, and Mamadou Sylla
, a wealthy businessman, culminated with Diallo's removal from his prime minister post.
On April 4, 2006, changes to the government which would have greatly increased Diallo's power were announced. These changes would have replaced a number of ministers with Diallo's own allies and would have placed Diallo personally in charge of several portfolios, including those of economy, finance, international cooperation, and planning. The decree approving the changes was said to be signed by President Conté, but it was later speculated that Conté might not have realized the significance of what he was signing at the time. A radio broadcast announcing the changes was interrupted by soldiers, which was said to be because Fodé Bangoura had not been notified in advance. On the next day, it was announced that Diallo's changes were reversed, and a few hours later it was announced that Diallo had been dismissed as Prime Minister "for serious misconduct".
Although there were subsequently reports that Diallo had been placed under house arrest
, he denied this in an interview with IRIN and thanked Conté for maintaining confidence in him during his time in the government.
Following the appointment of Ahmed Tidiane Souaré
as Prime Minister, Diallo was present, along with other former ministers, when Souaré gave a press conference on May 22, 2008. On May 28, he was one of the party leaders who met with Souaré to discuss the formation of a national unity government.
Conté died in December 2008 and soldiers immediately seized power in a military coup d'état
. About 20 soldiers searched Diallo's home on 1 January 2009, while holding Diallo and his family at gunpoint. According to Diallo, the search was based on suspicions that Diallo might have weapons and mercenaries as part of a coup plot, but he said that the soldiers did not take anything from his home. A junta delegation met with Diallo on 2 January and condemned the search, saying that "uncontrollable elements out to hurt the junta" were to blame and that the junta had nothing to do with it.
Diallo tried to hold a meeting in Kerouane
in June 2009, but the junta did not allow him to do so; it also would not let him stay overnight in Kankan
. After junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara
suggested in August 2009 that he might stand as a presidential candidate in the planned 2010 election, Diallo urged him not to do so, saying that the election's "transparency and reliability ... require[d] the administration's neutrality and impartiality". After spending time in France
and Senegal
, he returned to Conakry on 13 September 2009 and was greeted at the airport by about 60,000 supporters.
On 28 September 2009, Diallo participated in a massive opposition protest
in Conakry, which was directed against Camara's suspected aspirations to run for President in 2010. He was injured at the protest, in which soldiers opened fire on the protesters and allegedly killed 157 people; three of his ribs were reportedly broken. Subsequently he was barred from leaving the country for medical treatment on 30 September, but soon afterwards he was transported to Dakar
aboard the Senegalese presidential plane, and from there he was flown to Paris for treatment.
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 economist and politician who was Prime Minister of Guinea from 2004 to 2006. Currently he is President 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), an opposition party.
Background and earlier career
Diallo, a member of the FulaFula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
ethnic group, was born in Labé
Labé
Labé is the main city and administrative capital of the Fouta Djallon region of Guinea. It has a population of about 58,649 . It is the second largest city in the country after the capital Conakry...
. He studied at the University of Conakry and the Center for Financial, Economic and Banking Studies in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and in 1976 he became an inspector of trade. He began working at the Bank of Foreign Trade of Guinea in 1982, and from 1985 to 1995 he worked at the Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea
Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea
The Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea is the central bank of Guinea. The bank is located in the capital city of Conakry.The bank was established on 1 March 1960. Ousmane Baldé was president of the bank in the 1960s before his execution in 1971...
.
After briefly working at the Administration and Control of Great Projects (l’Administration et Contrôle des Grands Projets, ACGP), Diallo joined the government in July 1996 as Minister of Transport, Telecommunications and Tourism. He was subsequently moved to the position of Minister of Infrastructure in October 1997, where he remained until he was appointed as Minister of Public Works and Transport on March 12, 1999. After UTA Flight 141
UTA Flight 141
UTA Flight 141 was a charter flight operated by Union des Transports Aériens de Guinée.On 25 December 2003 the airplane crashed in the Bight of Benin, killing 151 of the 163 occupants, most of them Lebanese....
, a flight from Guinea, crashed in Cotonou
Cotonou
-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...
, Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
in December 2003, Diallo said that there was no proof that his ministry had been neglectful of safety and that he would not resign. Diallo served for five years as Minister of Public Works and Transport before being moved to the position of Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture on February 23, 2004.
Prime minister
On December 9, 2004, Diallo was appointed as Prime Minister by Guinean President Lansana ContéLansana 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:...
. The position of Prime Minister had previously been vacant since April 2004. Diallo took office as Prime Minister on December 13.
Diallo—who speaks English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in addition to French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
—played a role in the Conte regime. However, allegation of corruption coupled with disagreements with Conté's top associates, particularly Fodé Bangoura
Fodé Bangoura
Fodé Bangoura is a Guinean political figure, once a key aide to president Lansana Conté.-References:...
, the Secretary-General of the Presidency, and Mamadou Sylla
Mamadou Sylla
Mamadou Sylla is a Guinean politician and business leader.Born in Boké, in 1986 Sylla was one of several people given large amounts of rice by the Government to retail. Becoming wealthy, he moved to Conakry and became a senior judge....
, a wealthy businessman, culminated with Diallo's removal from his prime minister post.
On April 4, 2006, changes to the government which would have greatly increased Diallo's power were announced. These changes would have replaced a number of ministers with Diallo's own allies and would have placed Diallo personally in charge of several portfolios, including those of economy, finance, international cooperation, and planning. The decree approving the changes was said to be signed by President Conté, but it was later speculated that Conté might not have realized the significance of what he was signing at the time. A radio broadcast announcing the changes was interrupted by soldiers, which was said to be because Fodé Bangoura had not been notified in advance. On the next day, it was announced that Diallo's changes were reversed, and a few hours later it was announced that Diallo had been dismissed as Prime Minister "for serious misconduct".
Although there were subsequently reports that Diallo had been placed under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
, he denied this in an interview with IRIN and thanked Conté for maintaining confidence in him during his time in the government.
Opposition leader
On November 8, 2007, an opposition political party, the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), announced that it had appointed Diallo as its President, succeeding Mamadou Ba. After he took office as the group's leader, Diallo said on November 15 that he believed that Conté would not run in the 2010 presidential election; he also said that he "always maintained good relations with General Lansana Conté and his family".Following the appointment of Ahmed Tidiane Souaré
Ahmed 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:...
as Prime Minister, Diallo was present, along with other former ministers, when Souaré gave a press conference on May 22, 2008. On May 28, he was one of the party leaders who met with Souaré to discuss the formation of a national unity government.
Conté died in December 2008 and soldiers immediately seized power in a military coup d'état
2008 Guinean coup d'état
The 2008 Guinean coup d'état was a Guinean military coup d'état that occurred in Guinea on 23 December 2008, shortly after the death of long-time President Lansana Conté...
. About 20 soldiers searched Diallo's home on 1 January 2009, while holding Diallo and his family at gunpoint. According to Diallo, the search was based on suspicions that Diallo might have weapons and mercenaries as part of a coup plot, but he said that the soldiers did not take anything from his home. A junta delegation met with Diallo on 2 January and condemned the search, saying that "uncontrollable elements out to hurt the junta" were to blame and that the junta had nothing to do with it.
Diallo tried to hold a meeting in Kerouane
Kerouane, Guinea
- External links :*...
in June 2009, but the junta did not allow him to do so; it also would not let him stay overnight 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....
. After junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara
Moussa Dadis Camara
Captain Moussa Dadis Camara now called Moïse Dadis Camara is an ex-officer of the Guinean army who served as the President of the Republic of Guinea's National Council for Democracy and Development , which seized power in a military coup d'état on 23 December 2008 after the...
suggested in August 2009 that he might stand as a presidential candidate in the planned 2010 election, Diallo urged him not to do so, saying that the election's "transparency and reliability ... require[d] the administration's neutrality and impartiality". After spending time in France
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...
and Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, he returned to Conakry on 13 September 2009 and was greeted at the airport by about 60,000 supporters.
On 28 September 2009, Diallo participated in a massive opposition protest
2009 Guinea protest
The 2009 Guinea protest was an opposition rally in Conakry, Guinea on Monday, 28 September 2009, with about 50,000 participants protesting against the junta government that came to power after the Guinean coup d'état of December 2008...
in Conakry, which was directed against Camara's suspected aspirations to run for President in 2010. He was injured at the protest, in which soldiers opened fire on the protesters and allegedly killed 157 people; three of his ribs were reportedly broken. Subsequently he was barred from leaving the country for medical treatment on 30 September, but soon afterwards he was transported to Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
aboard the Senegalese presidential plane, and from there he was flown to Paris for treatment.