US launches talks with Guinea amid fears of Sahel militancy spillover

The State Department is dispatching its top West Africa official to Guinea to discuss a post-coup transition amid fears of rising instability in the region.

During a congressional hearing on US-Africa policy on Wednesday, Molly Phee, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs announced that she will dispatch her deputy, Michael Gonzales, to Conakry this week. Gonzales is carrying a letter to Prime Minister Mohamed Beavogui, a former civil servant who was installed by the military in October.

Phee said she also met with Ambassador Kerfalla Yansane in Washington on Tuesday.

“The purpose of both of these engagements,” Phee told Congress, “was to talk to the transitional government of the importance of moving forward in the coming year to set an electoral calendar and to get Guinea back on track in terms of its return to democracy.”

Story Credit: The Africa Report