Guinean coup leader Moussa Camara has said he would not tolerate corruption and embezzlement, vowing to punish the offenders, according to agencies' reports.
"For the person who embezzles money, there won't be a trial. They'll be killed,'' he was quoted as saying Saturday to a public gathering at the Alfa Yaya Diallo barracks near the Guinea's capital Conakry's international airport.
He said the mining contracts would be reviewed to see if there are any unfavorable terms, which would require renegotiation.
With an area of 245,857 square km and a population of 9.56 million, the West African country is known for its rich mineral deposits, especially bauxite, the material for making aluminum. The world's No.1 bauxite producer, however, remains one of the poorest countries in the world, and rampant corruption has been blamed for the poverty.
International companies like Alcoa, Rio Tinto Alcan and Russia's RUSAL have multi-billion-dollar projects in Guinea, which also has gold and diamond deposits, according to agencies' reports.
Camara and his followers staged the coup Tuesday, the day after President Lansana Conte died in a hospital in Conakry at the age of 74, suspending the constitution and dissolving the government. They said they did this to "save the people."
The coup, the second one in Africa since Mauritanian military men toppled elected president in August, has been condemned broadly.
The African Union on Wednesday expressed concern about the resurgence of the phenomenon of coup, saying that it constitutes "a threat to peace and security on the continent."
The European Union, through its presidency France, demanded the organization of a "democratic and transparent election" in the first quarter of 2009," instead of a vote in December 2010, as promised by the military junta.
The United States has threatened to suspend its financial aid to Guinea if the military junta refuses to restore the democratic system in the country.
Africa's heavyweight South Africa called on the junta to immediately step down and hand power to the national assembly speaker as required by the constitution.
The junta is also being shunned by the Economic Community of the West African States and the United Nations.
However, Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade has expressed support for Camara's military junta, urging Friday neighboring countries not to interfere in Guinean affairs.
Camara has claimed himself "the president of the republic" but said he had no intention of running for the presidency in December 2010.
Camara invited diplomatic community for an "informational meeting," which was planned for Saturday, but later postponed to next Tuesday as the public gathering with representatives from domestic political parties, religious groups and civil blocs had overrun.
Source:Xinhua
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