Editing Foreign relations of Guinea (section)

=== 2009 ambassador recall ===
On 5 May 2009, President [[Moussa Dadis Camara]], who seized power in a [[2008 Guinean coup d'état|bloodless coup]] which followed the 22 December 2008 death of President [[Lansana Conté]], announced the recall of 30 of Guinea's [[ambassador]]s to other countries.<ref name="seattle">{{cite news   | last =  Sillah | first = Alhassan  | title = Guinea recalls 30 ambassadors, from US to China   | newspaper = [[Seattle Times]]  | date = 6 May 2009  | url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2009182141_apafguinea.html  | access-date = 7 May 2009}}</ref>  The order was made by a [[presidential decree]] on state television and was the first major diplomatic move made by the new leader.<ref name="seattle"/>

The decision affected ambassadors to the [[United States]], [[South Korea]], the [[People's Republic of China]], [[France]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Russia]], [[Egypt]], [[South Africa]], [[Italy]], [[Japan]], [[Brazil]], [[Cuba]], [[Switzerland]], [[Serbia]], [[Malaysia]], [[Iran]], the [[United Arab Emirates]], [[Senegal]], [[Nigeria]], [[Libya]], [[Ghana]], [[Algeria]], [[Morocco]], [[Gabon]], [[Liberia]], [[Sierra Leone]] and [[Guinea-Bissau]], comprising almost all of Guinea's foreign embassies.<ref name="seattle"/><ref name="TTC"/><ref name="annapolis">{{cite news  | title = World Digest  | publisher = Hometown Annapolis  | date = 6 May 2009  | url = http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/top/2009/05/06-19/World-Digest.html  | access-date = 7 May 2009  | archive-date = 14 February 2012  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120214160111/http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/top/2009/05/06-19/World-Digest.html  | url-status = dead  }}</ref>  The Guinean representatives to the [[European Union]], the [[United Nations]] and the [[African Union]] were also affected.<ref name="seattle"/><ref name="TTC"/>

No reason was stated for the recall.<ref name="TTC">{{cite news|url=http://www.ttc.org/200905061603.n46g3nv02632.htm |title=Guinea junta recalls 30 ambassadors |date=2009-05-06 |publisher=The Tocqueville Connection |access-date=2009-05-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512155101/http://www.ttc.org/200905061603.n46g3nv02632.htm |archive-date=12 May 2009 }}</ref> The ''Tocqueville Connection'' states: "Most of the ambassadors were appointed by former prime minister [[Lansana Kouyaté]], in office from February 2007 until May 2008,"<ref name="TTC"/> raising the possibility that the recall was an attempt on the part of Camara to distance himself from the previous government.

In late March 2009, the Guinean ambassador to Serbia faced expulsion for personal involvement in cigarette smuggling (1,000 packs of cigarettes were found in his [[BMW]]) but avoided arrest due to [[diplomatic immunity]] (although he was declared as [[persona non grata]]).<ref>[http://www.blic.rs/hronika.php?id=84956 Ambasador Gvineje švercovao cigarete]</ref>