Ahmed Tidiane Souaré - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From 1989 to 1990, Souaré was a member of the monitoring committee for the implementation of economic, financial and administrative reforms at the Presidency of the Republic. He was then coordinator of the office for monitoring, evaluation, and control at the Presidency of the Republic from 1990 to 1994; he was also president of the committee for the importation of petroleum products, rapporteur of the state commission for the liquidation of ONAH-ASP, and vice-president of the technical committee on re-evaluation of state immovable assets (COTERI) at the Presidency of the Republic.^[1]

Souaré was head of the cabinet of the Ministry of Economic and Financial Control in charge of the economic and financial coordination committee of the government from 1994 to 1996, then head of the cabinet of the Ministry Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of budget and the restructuring of the parastatal sector from 1996 to 1997. Subsequently, from 1997 to 2002 he was head of the cabinet of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, as well as Administrator-General of SOTELGUI and vice-president of the interministerial committee monitoring the oil sector. He was appointed as Inspector-General of Finances on January 2 2002; subsequently he headed the administrative council of OPG and was administrator of GUINOMAR.^[1]

Souaré was appointed to the government as Minister of Mines and Geology on March 8 2005,^[1]^[3]^[4] and while serving in that position he was also appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG).^[5] He was subsequently moved to the post of Minister of State for Higher Education and Scientific Research on May 29 2006^[1]^[6] and served in that post until March 2007,^[7] when an entirely new government under Prime Minister Lansana Kouyaté was appointed.^[8] Souaré was also President of the Guinean National Commission for UNESCO.^[9]

In an audit made under Kouyaté into the government's financial management in the previous ten years, Souaré's name was included in a list of officials who were considered to be associated with the mismanagement of resources.^[10]

In a decree read on state television on May 20 2008, President Lansana Conté dismissed Kouyaté and appointed Souaré to replace him as Prime Minister.^[2]^[11]^[12] Souaré, a technocrat,^[13] was seen as being close to Conté, in contrast to Kouyaté, who had been appointed to appease striking trade unions in 2007 and had a difficult relationship with Conté,^[12] and Souaré's appointment was viewed as strengthening Conté's position. The opposition urged Souaré to invite the opposition to participate in his government, something that Kouyaté had not done.^[13]

Speaking at a news conference at his home on May 21, Souaré said that he intended to continue the changes initiated under Kouyaté and "bring reconciliation to Guineans"; he also said that he wanted "to restore authority to the state because we're in a state of disarray."^[12] Expressing surprise at his appointment, he said that he planned to improve social services and stressed the need to "reinforce unity in Guinea and restore people's confidence in government".^[8] Also on that day, Souaré met with Conté, who told him "to set to work and fulfil the needs of the population".^[7]

On May 22, Ibrahima Fofana, the leader of the United Trade Union of Guinean Workers, described Souaré's appointment as "a flagrant violation of the February 2007 agreement", which had led to the end of a general strike and the appointment of Kouyaté. He said that the groups involved in selecting the composition of Kouyaté's government had not been consulted about Souaré's appointment and that Souaré did "not fit the profile we agreed to in February 2007". Unions also described Souaré as "incompetent", referring to his inclusion in the audit made under Kouyaté. According to Fofana, Souaré "re-appeared completely out of the blue", and he expressed surprise and dismay at Conté's selection of a Prime Minister from "the old guard".^[10]

Souaré was installed as Prime Minister at a ceremony in Conakry on May 23 by Sam Mamady Soumah, the Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Republic, in the absence of both Conté and Kouyaté.^[14]^[15]^[16] Speaking on this occasion, he said that he would "undertake large structural reforms, which will take into account the great changes within our society and in the world, but also the aspirations of the Guinean people".^[15]

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Politique: Le portrait de Ahmed Tidjane Souaré, nouveau Premier ministre de Guinée", Guineenews, May 21, 2008 (French).
^ ^a ^b "Guinée: le Premier ministre Lansana Kouyaté limogé par le président Conté", AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), May 20, 2008 (French).
^ Cheikh Yérim Seck, "Lifting gouvernemental", Jeuneafrique.com, March 13, 2005 (French).
^ List of members of the Guinean government (2005 archive page), presse-francophone.org (French).
^ "Halco Shareholders Appoint New Chairman", Alcoacareers.com, June 22, 2005.
^ List of members of the Guinean government (2007 archive page), presse-francophone.org (French).
^ ^a ^b "Guinean president meets newly-appointed Premier", African Press Agency, May 22, 2008.
^ ^a ^b "GUINEA: New PM expresses “surprise” at being chosen", IRIN, May 21, 2008.
^ Guinea page at UNESCO website.
^ ^a ^b "GUINEA: Appointment of new PM "violates" union agreement", IRIN, May 23, 2008.
^ James Butty, "Guinea's Consensus Prime Minister Sacked", VOA News, May 20, 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Guinea's president fires prime minister", Associated Press (International Herald Tribune), May 21, 2008.
^ ^a ^b "Limogeage de Lansana Kouyaté, syndicats et opposition dans l'attente", AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), May 21, 2008 (French).
^ "Politique: Passation de service : Le discours intégral du nouveau premier ministre Ahmed Tidjane Souaré", Guineenews, May 23, 2008 (French).
^ ^a ^b "Guinean new Premier sworn in Friday", African Press Agency, May 23, 2008.
^ "Politique: En l'absence de Lansana Kouyaté, Tidjane Souaré installé à la tête de la Primature par le secrétaire général de la Présidence", Guineenews, May 23, 2008 (French).