Guinea Reopens Borders, Transition President Offered New Post

ANALYSIS | The African Union seems determined to see Guinea's first democratic elections stick by rewarding its interim President, Brigadier General Sékouba Konaté。 Konaté is apparently going to transition into the head of the African standby military force, a force that could be deployed to crisis zones. His lofty title will be " High Representative of the African Union for the Operationalization of the African Standby Force", according to the Rally of the Guinean People （RPG） website.

Transitional President Rewarded For Role

The RPG is a primarily Mandinkan-supported organization, and Guinea's new President-elect Alpha Condé is its leader. Konaté is also Mandinkan.

Konaté was the appointed Vice President of the junta that took charge following long-time President and strongman Lansana Conté's death on December 22nd, 2008. He effectively took over the Presidency when his predecessor Captain Moussa Camara was shot in the head December 3rd, 2009. Camara survived and remains outside of the country, per an agreement with Konaté。

Konaté may be reaping the rewards of successfully navigating the country into democracy, and the appointment may be a means of encouraging the man sometimes called "El Tigre" to keep a distance from the Presidential arena.

Borders Reopen, Travelers Still Warned Away

Following the Supreme Court ruling affirming Alpha Condé as President, Guinea had closed its borders in anticipation of possible outbreaks of violence between Condé's Mandinkan supporters and the Peul （or Fula or Fulani） supporters of Cellou Dalein Diallo. There had been violence reported in the week leading up to the elections.

The borders have recently been lifted AfricaNews.com is reporting, and a government enforced curfew has been changed from 6 pm to 6 am to 10 pm to 6 am. The story could not be confirmed through the Guinean government website.

There are travel advisories in affect for Guinea, issued by the U.S. State Department , the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade , and the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office . In particular, the warnings advise travelers to be cautious along border areas where Senegal, Guinea Bissau, C?te d'Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone where the military presence is particularly strong. Visitors are also warned that banditry is common, via "individuals dressed in military uniforms carrying military weapons" according to the Australian website.