Katarina Höije

The coup lead­ers have promised a gov­ern­ment of na­tion­al uni­ty to lead tran­si­tion to civil­ian rule, but ques­tions re­main.

For­mer pres­i­dent’s re­turn seen as test for coun­try and pop­u­la­tion that still has 2011 bloody con­flict fresh in mem­o­ry.

Pres­i­dent of more than 30 years had fought off sev­er­al re­bel­lions and was in­creas­ing­ly seen as si­lenc­ing ri­vals.

Long­time pres­i­dent look­ing to ex­tend three-decade rule as sev­er­al op­po­si­tion lead­ers urged sup­port­ers to boy­cott poll.

Death of Hamed Bakayoko robs Pres­i­dent Alas­sane Ouat­tara of a po­lit­i­cal ally, adds un­cer­tain­ty to the suc­ces­sion bat­tle.

Leg­isla­tive vote is the first test for Pres­i­dent Alas­sane Ouat­tara’s par­ty since his land­slide re-elec­tion last year.

Op­po­si­tion boy­cott and wide­spread vi­o­lence mean Ouat­tara might risk los­ing le­git­i­ma­cy he fought for years to ac­quire.

Guineans are brac­ing for more post-elec­tion vi­o­lence, de­spite Conde’s promis­es to ‘re­main open to di­a­logue’.