Editing History of Guinea (section)

===Lansana Conté's rule (1984–2008)===
The PDG was due to elect a new leader on April 3, 1984.  Under the constitution, that person would have been the only candidate for president.  However, hours before that meeting, Colonels [[Lansana Conté]] and [[Diarra Traoré]] seized power in a bloodless [[coup]]. Conté assumed the role of president, with Traoré serving as prime minister until December.

Conté immediately denounced the previous regime's record on [[human rights]], released 250 political prisoners and encouraged approximately 200,000 more to return from exile. He also made explicit the turn away from socialism, but this did little to alleviate poverty and the country showed no immediate signs of moving towards [[democracy]].

In 1992, Conté announced a return to civilian rule, with a presidential poll in 1993 followed by elections to parliament in 1995 (in which his party – the [[Party of Unity and Progress]] – won 71 of 114 seats.) Despite his stated commitment to democracy, Conté's grip on power remained tight. In September 2001 the opposition leader [[Alpha Condé]] was imprisoned for endangering state security, though he was pardoned 8 months later. He subsequently spent a period of exile in France.

In 2001 Conté organized and won a referendum to lengthen the presidential term and in 2003 begun his third term after elections were boycotted by the opposition. In January 2005, Conté survived a suspected assassination attempt while making a rare public appearance in the capital [[Conakry]]. His opponents claimed that he was a "tired dictator" <ref>
{{Cite web |url=http://www.guinea-forum.org/Analyses/index.asp?ana=28&Lang=A |title=Welcome Guinea Forum: Cornered, General Lansana Conte can only hope |access-date=2005-08-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070616165043/http://www.guinea-forum.org/Analyses/index.asp?ana=28&Lang=A |archive-date=2007-06-16 |url-status=dead }} 
</ref> whose departure was inevitable, whereas his supporters believed that he was winning a battle with dissidents. Guinea still faces very real problems and according to ''[[Foreign Policy]]'' is in danger of becoming a [[failed state]].<ref>
{{cite web | url=https://foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4350 | title=Failed States list 2008 | publisher=Fund for Peace | access-date=2008-06-27 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626091027/http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4350 | archive-date=2008-06-26 | url-status=live }}
</ref>

In 2000 Guinea became embroiled in the instability which had long blighted the rest of [[West Africa]] as rebels crossed the borders with [[Liberia]] and [[Sierra Leone]] and it seemed for a time that the country was headed for [[civil war]].<ref>
{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/986375.stm | work=BBC News | title=Civil war fears in Guinea | date=October 23, 2000 | access-date=April 2, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040619115730/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/986375.stm | archive-date=2004-06-19 | url-status=live }}
</ref> Conté blamed neighbouring leaders for coveting Guinea's natural resources, though these claims were strenuously denied.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1102574.stm | work=BBC News | title=Guinea head blames neighbours | date=January 6, 2001 | access-date=April 2, 2010}}</ref> In 2003 Guinea agreed plans with her neighbours to tackle the insurgents. In 2007 there were [[2007 Guinean general strike|big protests]] against the government, resulting in the appointment of a new prime minister.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aspr.ac.at/epu/research/rp_0307.pdf |title=Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR) &#124; Peace Castle Austria |publisher=ASPR |access-date=2013-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070615021433/http://www.aspr.ac.at/epu/research/rp_0307.pdf |archive-date=2007-06-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>