CONAKRY, Guinea — Just a few months ago, Guinea was a battered nation devoid of hope, ruled by an out-of-control army captain whose troops massacred pro-democracy demonstrators and raped women.
Today, the West African country is on the verge of putting half a century of coups and repressive rule behind it — through a presidential election Sunday that would be its first-ever free ballot.
The stunning turnaround — made possible after a renegade soldier shot dictator Moussa "Dadis" Camara in the head — may be one of the fastest in modern African history, and it has filled the anxious nation of 10 million with the feeling things may really be looking up.
"We've had a lot of false hope over the years, but this time, everybody believes it's for real," said Sow Bailo, a prominent actor and longtime participant in public protests against Guinea's military regimes.
The country is rich in bauxite, diamonds, gold and iron ore. But its people have been profoundly impoverished from the misrule of communist dictatorships and repressive military juntas since independence from France in 1958.
When Camara seized power in a 2008 military coup after despot Lansana Conte died in his 70s of a lengthy illness, the future looked grimmer than ever. While promising clean government and frugality, Camara plastered the walls in his office with life-size portraits of himself and left his soldiers to plunder on the streets.
And then a single outrage changed everything.
On Sept. 28, 2009, army units opened fire on pro-democracy demonstrators gathered at a Conakry stadium who were protesting over rumors Camara was reneging on a promise not to run for president. Security forces killed more than 150, wounded more than 1,000 and raped more than 100 women.
The bloodbath drew international condemnation, a U.N. investigation and infighting within the army's top brass over who would take the blame. On Dec. 3, Camara was shot by his presidential guard chief, but survived and was exiled as part of a tenuous peace deal.
Camara's deputy, Gen. Sekouba Konate, then did an about-face. Starting in February, he appointed a civilian prime minister, established a civilian-led transitional governing council, and helped push through a new constitution that reduces the presidency's power substantially, limiting it to two five-year terms.
Why Konate didn't take power for himself is a mystery. Some say the general truly believes in democratic reform and dislikes the spotlight. Some say he was under too much pressure internally and internationally, and didn't want Guinea to go the way of war-ravaged Sierra Leone, where he served on a regional peacekeeping force.
Either way, he has become an unlikely hero.
