Despite the SMS ban, GV10 Witness will remain operational and able to receive reports via email to rapport@gv10temoin.org and directly online at www.gv10witness.org.  We will also continue to map media reports and encourage all interested parties to view the many hundreds of messages sent in by citizens during this run-off period.  Our system continues to show that citizens are witnessing, the people are reporting, and humanity is watching from the four corners of the world to the smallest village of Guinea so that a new day may come for Guineans.

Alliance Guinea is not itself an election monitoring organization and it has not been our mission to make generalized statements about the overall legitimacy of the electoral process. Instead, we aim to provide a tool for citizens, election monitors, human rights defenders, and journalists to increase the transparency of the democratic exercise and this transition period.  Since the eve of the runoff elections, the GV10Witness system has received over 5000 SMS messages, including over a thousand throughout the day of the vote. These included reports of logistical challenges and confusion around voting modalities, some allegations of voting irregularities and tension between party supporters, but also cases where polling went smoothly and where voter turnout was high and participation peaceful.  These messages, including both those generated by ordinary citizens and by domestic observers with the National Council of Civil Society Organizations in Guinea, were generally unconfirmed but were submitted in real-time.  While they in no way represent a scientific sample of the integrity of the voting process, the ensemble of the reports that Alliance Guinea received do not contradict the conclusions that international observer groups such as the Carter Center and European Union have issued expressing the lack of evidence on the whole of systemic electoral fraud.

At the same time, Alliance Guinea supports the right of all candidates, citizens and civil society groups to make formal complaints of fraud and pursue the legal options open to them under the Constitution of Guinea. All Guineans need these efforts to be seen through to their legal end in order to objectively and transparently conclude the electoral process. Alliance Guinea encourages all the parties that took part in the elections and the tabulation of results to cooperate with investigation efforts.

Alliance Guinea deplores the outbreak of violence in the wake of the provisional election result announcements, both between citizens and also the cases of disproportionate response of the armed forces and evidence of serious human rights abuses and extra-judicial killings, including targeting of certain ethnic groups. These recent aggressions in Guinea, and particularly the ethnic-based violence, do not reflect the historic ability of the country’s citizens to co-exist peacefully for the good of the country.

We wish to remind everyone of the repeated statements made by both presidential run-off candidates that “we are one Guinea” and of the commitments each candidate signed to avoid violence and reprisals. Alliance Guinea calls on the current government and General Sekouba Konate in particular to increase efforts to maintain peace and order. It must do this while respecting the universal human rights of all citizens regardless of political persuasion or ethnicity, and to discipline the members of the armed forces who have abused these rights and otherwise engaged in disproportionately violent behavior.

Democracy does not begin and end with a single election.  Guinea’s next president will have the responsibility of helping to build democratic and well-governed institutions that have the capacity and integrity to do the people’s work: using Guinea’s vast natural and human resources to promote the sustainable development of the country. The president will also be responsible for assuring that free and fair legislative elections are held in 6 months’ time, and new presidential elections in another five years.

The GV10Witness citizen monitoring system has remained online following Election Day and in the wake of the provisional result announcements.  It is our intention that this system continue to act as a deterrent to people who seek to unravel the social fabric of Guinea and as a way of recognizing those citizens and officials who step in to prevent hatred and violence.

We call on all citizens, groups and parties of Guinea; the Guinean diaspora; the international community; and all friends of Guinea to remain highly vigilant in the promotion of democracy, justice, and peace in the Republic of Guinea during the end of this transition to civilian rule and as the work of governing begins. As Guineans of all ethnicities and friends of Guinea ourselves, we issue a particular call to our friends and family to resist political forces that would have us turn against each other. And for all those who share our values, we ask that you speak out for both peace and a just resolution of the cases of human rights abuses witnessed both before and after the elections. This will be a long-term process, and we must go forward together to ensure the peaceful and just transition of Guinea to lasting democracy.

-Alliance Guinea

allianceguinea@gmail.com

Alliance Guinea’s Statement on the Guinean Elections, Post-Election Violence and Banning of SMS Communications is a post from: Alliance Guinea

Who do you call if you are in the middle of a polling station and tensions are rising? Who do you turn to when something has gone wrong with the mechanics of a monumental election, threatening your ability to vote? How do you get the word out when all has in fact gone well and you want people to know that for you these elections were free and fair? For many Guineans in today’s long-delayed and critical presidential run-off elections, the answer was Alliance Guinea’s crowd-sourcing initiative, GV10 Witness.

Since GV10 was launched during the first round of voting in June, Guineans have sent over 22,225 SMS messages in response to Alliance Guinea’s call for crowd-sourced information about the country’s first democratic elections.  10% of these were in the last 24 hours alone – with messages coming in from every corner of the country and some of the most remote places in between The wholly volunteer-run effort allowed the Guinean people to use the hippest form of cutting-edge open-source technology to participate in establishing democracy, with their eye-witness testimony providing a valuable tool for judging the legitimacy of the next Guinean government.

And for many Guineans, the results of GV10 today were much more immediate. In Conakry, Kissidougou, and across Guinea, when polling sites were missing materials or confronting other problems and tensions, Guinean citizens sent messages to Alliance Guinea, whose team in Conakry looked into the reports and flagged the most urgent issues for the CENI, the national electoral commission. As a result, a number of problems were caught early and remedied – and people were able to vote thanks to Alliance Guinea’s dedicated volunteers.

The behind-the scenes technical headquarters for GV10 was in New York City, with volunteers working together via Skype chat from Paris to Stockholm to Albuquerque to Honolulu and regular video check-ins with the team in Conakry. It was an international effort to support the birth of the newest democracy on the planet.

At the end of the day, citizens in Guinea had reported having witnessed a number of irregularities throughout the country, but the vast majority of issues appeared more logistical than nefarious. And while tensions have been mounting in recent weeks with outbursts of ethnic violence, today there were essentially no reports of violent altercations.  Instead, there were nearly 3 times as many reports of things going well as there was conflict of this kind.

GV10 Witness will continue as the votes are counted and as the country braces for the announcement of the official results. And all along the way ordinary citizens will be able to report what they are seeing – maybe a beginning of a kind of political engagement that can keep the democracy moving past the elections and into the task of growing a democratic society.

Raul Rothblatt

A historic election, and a triumph for citizen engagement to make them as free and fair as possible is a post from: Alliance Guinea

The event will be a rare coming together of a broad spectrum of actors from the Guinean community and friends of Guinea in the U.S., including members of the two leading political coalitions in Guinea, civil society activists, and religious and other community leaders. With the first democratic presidential elections in Guinea’s history possibly just two weeks away and tensions running high, there is no better time to remember what September 28 means to all of us and how we can honor this memory together in the name of freedom, peace, and a better future for all Guineans.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010
5:00 – 8:30pm
Institute for African Studies, Columbia University
Knox Hall, Room 208, 606 West 122nd St. (btw Broadway & Claremont Ave.)
Hosted by Alliance Guinea

All are welcome but space is limited – RSVP to allianceguinea@gmail.com required. Event is open to the press with prior notice.

September 28: A Community Reflection is a post from: Alliance Guinea

The objectives of this initiative are to:

1.Allow Guineans inside and outside of the country to participate in the political debates and discuss the future of the country with the candidates.

2.Allow Guineans of voting age to understand the agendas and policy platforms of the various candidates, and to distinguish between the candidates other based on their programs and accomplishments.

3.Provide a forum for candidates to explain their policies and projects and to debate them with their political opponents.

4.Reduce the tension and politically-based violence through informed dialogue.

5.Reduce the ethnic vote, and allow coalitions based on policies and governance philosophy to emerge and consolidate.

To design the questionnaire for candidates, we need your ideas on the most relevant questions to ask. What are your priority concerns and aspirations? What questions can we ask to solicit responses that are well thought-out that will allow us to distinguish between the candidates?

To join the coalition of Guineans who want to vote for a new Guinea, please fill out the form via the link below. Contribute to the political debate in Guinea in devising your questions to the candidates. The success of this initiative depends on you, because we rely on as much participation as possible to represent the interest of everyday Guinea in the political debate at this crucial moment in the history of Guinea. We are relying on everyone’s spirit of good citizenship to share this form with as many people as possible.

Your opinion counts – make yourself heard and we will ensure that your answers are compiled in order to inform the questionnaire that will soon be submitted to the candidates.Once the questionnaire itself is ready we will keep you informed about the next steps of having this serious debate on the future of Guinea. Speak up and we will make sure that you are heard.

Click here to complete the survey and make your contribution to the elections.

With thanks and solidarity,
The team of organizers

How to vote for a new Guinea? A call for your questions for the candidates is a post from: Alliance Guinea

“Guinea West Africa has carried the torch of freedom since its independence from the French in 1958.  The country has been an example to the rest of the region throughout its history, as it was the first nation of French West Africa to gain its independence. That said, I am deeply concerned about the rising tensions within the country and its potential to ignite regional instability within the West African region.”

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of New York made this official statement read into the Congressional Record last week on the occasion of the march on Washington, rising to address the Speaker of the House of Representatives “to acknowledge the Movement of Guinean Women in the United States, the Commission for Guinean Forces Vives in the United States and Alliance Guinea” for organizing the demonstration in front of the State Department to protest the atrocities that continue to take place in Guinea.

Congresswoman Clarke’s declares that she “strongly believes that all citizens of Guinea should be afforded the right to have their voices heard without the threat of violence” and that “those responsible [for the appalling rapes] must be brought to justice.” She calls for the international community to provide emergency care and humanitarian assistance for the people of Guinea following the traumas caused by September 28 and declares her strong backing of the State Department’s position in “admonishing those who committed [the] injustices” and supports the call for the CNDD not to stand in elections.

Congresswoman Clarke has emerged as an early ally in the US Congress for the cause of justice and freedom in Guinea, and we are grateful for her support. To become involved with reaching out to representatives from your home state, tell us of your interest here or email allianceguinea@gmail.com.

Rep. Yvette Clarke on record: Justice and assistance needed for Guinea is a post from: Alliance Guinea

The mediator has asked the Force Vives to draft a plan that would address the transition and criteria for the upcoming elections. Upon receipt of this draft, Mr. Campaore announced that”the propositions are interesting” but no breakthrough thus far.

The systematic sanctions seem to have significant effects on junta. However, those of the U.S. are in sharp contrast to the nations. It extra ingredients include travel restrictions on

“individuals who support policies or actions that undermine the restorations of democracy and the rule of law in Guinea”

according to the U.S. State Department. Also, the U.S. Government keeps secret-at least for now- the identities of those targeted by the sanctions. Further financial and other restrictions are being put in motion.

Here is a fundamental question: What will be the immediate and future consequences of these synchronized sanctions hailing on the Guinean Government and supporters of it policies?

See here for the official EU sanctions decree and list of names and here for the announcement of the US sanctions.

Sekou Konde for Alliance Guinea

Week of Sanctions, Plus Mediation in Ouagadougou is a post from: Alliance Guinea

Marchers in front of the White House

With a huge showing of women in the lead, an estimated 5000 people from at least 11 states across the east coast and Midwest – Guineans and friends of Guinea – marched in front of the White House and to the US State Department today to increase awareness of the atrocities of September 28 and to demand justice for the victims and help for a transition to democratic elections in Guinea.  The marchers highlighted in particular the horrific violence committed against women that day and made it clear that these sacrifices must not be in vain.

In addition to the march, members of the Movement of Guinean Women in the United States and the Guinean Forces Vives in the US met with staff at the State Department where they fully briefed the African bureau on the current situation in Guinea and discussed strategies for continued U.S. support of an end to military rule in the country.  In addition, a second delegation of Guinean civil society members and American friends of Guinea met with the staff of key offices on Capitol Hill to raise awareness of the situation in Congress and garner additional support.

Meeting with Marissa Doran, staff of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs

Submitted this letter in the name of the Movement of Guinean Women and Guinean Forces Vives in the US and Alliance Guinea, clearly making the case for why action is needed now and what further steps the United States in particular can take to accelerate the transition.

In addition to people residing in Washington DC, marchers came in from Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Ohio, Indiana, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland, with 17 buses from New York alone to show unity and solidarity for the people of Guinea and demand that action be taken now in the name of human rights and democracy.

Were you at the march? What was it like to express your views in front of the White House, State Department, and US Congress? Share with us your experiences here.

Thousands in Washington call for justice, with women in the lead is a post from: Alliance Guinea

The whole world was grieving, saddened, shocked and outraged by the atrocities of September 28 last on the peaceful population of Conakry. In more than 157 people killed, 1253 injured, dozens of women were publicly raped and abused by the red berets of the presidential guard.
On this painful and unacceptable occasion, the movements of Guinean women in the United States in partnership with the Guinean Forces Vives in the United States organize a protest march Monday, October 26, 2009 in Washington DC to express their solidarity with the victims and their support efforts and actions of the Forum Forces Vives.
We therefore invite the Guinean women, children and men, all American communities, African and all Democrats residing in the United States to go massively in Washington DC to encourage and solicit the support of the Department of State and Congress for the departure of captain Musa Dadis Camara and the military junta. Let us also march in DC to demand that the perpetrators of September 28’s crimes are brought to justice.
Liberian, Sierra Leonean, Ivorian, Malian, Senegalese, Bissau Guinean, Nigerian, Beninese, Togolese, Mauritanian, Cape Verdian, Gambian, Burkinabé, Nigerian (etc…) women and communities are cordially invited to take part in the march for the defense of the right , freedom, equality, justice and democracy.

Meet at Lafayette Park (across from the White House) Monday, October 26, 2009, at 10:30.

Contacts :

Mme Camara Binta Boiro (NY) : 347 299 6899

Saliou Diallo (DC) :240 603 9902

Mme Sanoh Doussou Condé (NY):646 696 5114

Karamba Diallo (MA) :857 249 3393

Aboubacar Demba Cissé (NY): 646 377 9518

Alsény Diallo (IL) : 773 412 6876

Mme Tounkara Hadja Maimouna Conté (NY): 347 597 7130

Mme Diallo Mariam Bijoux Diallo (DC) : 571 216 8355

Alpha Issagah Diallo (NY): 917 420 7415

Mamadou Kolon Sylla (PA): 267 259 7391

Mme Barry Fatoumata Barry (NY): 646 318 1425

Demba Cissé (NY): 646 324 2207

Mme Keita Fatou Chinois (NY): 646 934 4751

Mory Doré (PA) : 215 651 7245

Alhoussaine Bah (NY) : 347 570 3357

Thierno Mountaga Diallo (IN) 317 514 2880

March on Washington October 26: Call for solidarity is a post from: Alliance Guinea

The United States strongly supports the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) decision to impose an arms embargo on Guinea and to work with the African Union to develop a regime of targeted sanctions against individuals. We welcome this action, to address the growing crisis in the region. The United States continues to condemn the brutal murders and rapes which occurred on September 28 in Guinea and calls on all parties to cooperate fully with the United Nations Commission of Inquiry charged with investigating the violence. We will continue to work with our international partners and the ECOWAS/African Union-appointed facilitator, President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, to urge the junta in Conakry to step aside and allow for the establishment of a transitional authority that can lead the country toward credible elections.

Alliance Guinea salutes the White House’s categorical language that Dadis and the CNDD must go and that ECOWAS and the African Union must remain strong in their resolve to enforce the measures needed to move this transition forward.

The White House with ECOWAS: The CNDD must go is a post from: Alliance Guinea

Organized in particular as a women’s march in protest to the horrific violence against women and girls committed that day and the need for peace and unity in Guinea, the march is expected to bring together thousands of women and men – Guineans and other friends of Guinea – from around the United States that day to express their outrage and demands for justice and democracy.

The march will begin at 10am at Lafayette Park, with stops at the State Department and Capitol Hill. Detailed itinerary forthcoming.

If you are in the greater Washington DC area, we plan to see you there. If you are elsewhere in the country and would like to connect with others from your area who will be travelling to Washington, please email allianceguinea@gmail.com.

Our goal: to make the 26^th as big a show of solidarity as possible – demonstrating that Guinean tragedies and dreams are everyone’s tragedies and dreams.

March on Washington planned for Monday, Oct. 26 is a post from: Alliance Guinea