Conakry Kɔnakiri
Conakry, Guinea
Conakry Map of Guinea showing the location of Conakry.
Coordinates: 9°31′N 13°42′W / 9.517°N 13.7°W / 9.517; -13.7
Country	Guinea
Region	Conakry Region
Population (2008)
• Total	1,931,184 [2]
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+1)

Conakry (Sosso: Kɔnakiri) is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500.^[1] Originally situated on Tombo Island, one of the Îles de Los, it has since spread up the neighboring Kaloum Peninsula.

The population of Conakry is difficult to ascertain, although the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs has estimated it at 2 million.^[2] Conakry is thought to contain almost a quarter of the population of Guinea.

History[link]

According to a legend, the name of the city comes from the fusion of the name "Cona", a wine producer of the Baga people, and the word "nakiri", which means in Sosso the other bank or side.^[3]

Streetmap of the city centre of Conakry, 1981

Conakry was originally settled on tiny Tombo Island and later spread to the neighboring Kaloum Peninsula, a 36-kilometer (22 mi) long stretch of land 0.2 to 6 kilometers (660 to 20,000 ft) wide. The city was essentially founded after Britain ceded the island to France in 1887. In 1885, the two island villages of Conakry and Boubinet had fewer than 500 inhabitants. Conakry became the capital of French Guinea in 1904 and prospered as an export port, particularly after a (now closed) railway to Kankan opened the large scale export of groundnut from the interior.

In the decades after independence, the population of Conakry exploded, from 50,000 inhabitants in 1958 to 600,000 in 1980, to over two million today.^[4] Its small land area and relative isolation from the mainland, while an advantage to its colonial founders, has created an infrastructural burden since independence.^[5]

Monument du 22 Novembre 1970 commemorating the victims of the 1970 Portuguese invasion

In 1970, conflict between Portuguese forces and the PAIGC in neighbouring Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau) spilled into the Republic of Guinea when a group of 350 Portuguese troops and Guinean dissidents landed near Conakry, attacked the city, and freed 26 Portuguese prisoners of war held by the PAIGC before retreating, failing to overthrow the government or kill the PAIGC leadership.^[6]

Camp Boiro, a feared concentration camp during the Marxist-Leninist era, was located in Conakry.^[7]

According to human rights groups, 157 people died when the military junta opened fire against tens of thousands protesters in the city in on September 28, 2009.^[8]

Government and administration[link]

Conakry is a special city with a single region and prefecture government. The local government of the city was decentralized in 1991 between five municipal communes headed by a mayor.^[9] From the tip in the southwest, these are:

• Kaloum – the city centre
• Dixinn – including the University of Conakry and many embassies
• Ratoma – known for its nightlife
• Matam
• Matoto – home to Conakry International Airport.

The five urban communes make up the Conakry Region, one of the eight Regions of Guinea, which is headed by a governor. At the second-tier prefect level, the city is designated as the Conakry Special Zone, though the prefecture and regional government are one and the same. At two million inhabitants, it is far and away the largest city in Guinea, making up almost a quarter of the nation's population and making it more than four times bigger than its nearest rival, Kankan.

Economy[link]

A street scene in Conakry

Conakry is Guinea's largest city and its administrative, communications, and economic centre. The city's economy revolves largely around the port, which has modern facilities for handling and storing cargo, through which alumina and bananas are shipped. Manufactures include food products and housing materials. An average Guinean in Conakry will get a monthly wage of about 300 000 GNF or about $45.

Infrastructural crisis[link]

Periodic power and water cuts are a daily burden for Conakry's residents, dating back to early 2002. Government and power company officials blame the drought of February 2001 for a failure of the hydro-electric supply to the capital, and a failure of aging machinery for the continuation of the crisis. Critics of the government cite mis-management, corruption, and the pull out of the power agency's French partner at the beginning of 2002. As of 2007, much of the city has no traffic lighting in the overnight hours.^[10] Popular anger at shortages in Conakry was entwined with anti-government protests, strikes, and violence over the rule of President Lansana Conté and the successive prime ministers, Cellou Dalein Diallo and Eugène Camara, appointed to fill the post after the resignation of Prime Minister François Lonseny Fall in April 2004. Violence reached a peak in January–February 2007 in a general strike, which saw over one hundred deaths when the Army confronted protesters^[11]

Climate[link]

According to Köppen climate classification, Conakry features a tropical monsoon climate. Conakry features a wet season and a dry season. Like a good portion of West Africa, Conakry's dry season is influenced by the harmattan between December and April. As a result relatively little precipitation falls in the city during these months. However, unlike a good portion of West Africa, Conakry's wet season sees an extraordinary amount of precipitation. As a result, Conakry averages nearly 3,800 mm (149 in.) of precipitation per year, earning the city a tropical monsoon climate classification.

Notable landmarks[link]

See also[link]

• 2007 Guinean general strike
• 2009 Guinea protest

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Thomas O'Toole, Janice E. Baker. Historical Dictionary of Guinea. Scarecrow Press (2005). ISBN 0-8108-4634-9
• Odile Goerg. "Chieftainships between Past and Present: From City to Suburb and Back in Colonial Conakry, 1890s-1950s". Africa Today, Summer 2006, Vol. 52, No. 4, Pages 2–27
• Conakry the Capital: history of the city at site of expat artist.
• HISTOIRE DE CONAKRY, 1463 to present, by Luc MOGENET, reprinted at guineeconakry.info (no date)
• Kids in Guinea Study Under Airport Lamps, RUKMINI CALLIMACHI The Associated Press, Thursday, 19 July 2007.
• Archdiocese of Conakry: history and structure (at catholic-hierarchy.org)
• Guinea's Telecommunication Infrastructure, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), 1999 figures.

External links[link]

• http://www.guineeconakry.info/: Conakry - based news portal
• Le Jour Guinée (French)
• http://www.conakrycity.com
• Guineevision (French)
• Office National du Tourisme, République du Guinée.
• l’Université Kofi Annan de Guinée (UNIKAG)
• Satellite image of Conakry and the Kaloum Peninsula, from the European Space Agency's Envisat: image description at http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMAV21XDYD_index_1.html.

Coordinates: 09°30′33″N 13°42′44″W / 9.50917°N 13.71222°W / 9.50917; -13.71222

• Moussa Dadis Camara speaks to Radio France Internationale after Conakry massacre

v t e Prefectures of Guinea Boké Region Boffa · Boké · Fria · Gaoual · Koundara Conakry Region Conakry Faranah Region Dabola · Dinguiraye · Faranah · Kissidougou Kankan Region Kankan · Kérouané · Kouroussa · Mandiana · Siguiri Kindia Region Coyah · Dubréka · Forécariah · Kindia · Télimélé Labé Region Koubia · Labé · Lélouma · Mali · Tougué Mamou Region Dalaba · Mamou · Pita Nzérékoré Region Beyla · Guéckédou · Lola · Macenta · Nzérékoré · Yomou

Macky Sall
President of Senegal
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 April 2012
Prime Minister	Abdoul Mbaye
Preceded by	Abdoulaye Wade
Prime Minister of Senegal
In office 21 April 2004 – 19 June 2007
President	Abdoulaye Wade
Preceded by	Idrissa Seck
Succeeded by	Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré
President of the National Assembly
In office 20 June 2007 – 9 November 2008
Preceded by	Pape Diop
Succeeded by	Mamadou Seck
Mayor of Fatick
In office 1 April 2009 – 2 April 2012
Deputy	Famara Sarr
Preceded by	Doudou Ngom
Succeeded by	Famara Sarr
In office 1 June 2002 – 9 November 2008
Deputy	Souleymane Ndéné Ndiaye
Preceded by	Doudou Ngom
Succeeded by	Doudou Ngom
Personal details
Born	(1961-12-11) 11 December 1961 (age 50) Fatick, Senegal
Political party	Senegalese Democratic Party (Before 2008) Alliance for the Republic (2008–present)
Spouse(s)	Mareme Faye Sall

Macky Sall (born 11 December 1961^[1]) is a Senegalese politician who has been President of Senegal since April 2012. Under President Abdoulaye Wade, Sall was Prime Minister of Senegal from April 2004 to June 2007 and President of the National Assembly of Senegal from June 2007 to November 2008.^[2] He was the Mayor of Fatick from 2002 to 2008 and has held that post again since April 2009.

Sall was a long-time member of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS). After coming into conflict with Wade, he was removed from his post as President of the National Assembly in November 2008; he consequently founded his own party and joined the opposition. Placing second in the first round of the 2012 presidential election, he won the backing of other opposition candidates and prevailed over Wade in the second round of voting, held on 25 March 2012.^[3]

Early political career[link]

Sall, a geological engineer by profession,^[2] was born in Fatick. He became Secretary-General of the PDS Regional Convention in Fatick in 1998 and served as the PDS National Secretary in charge of Mines and Industry. He was Special Advisor for Energy and Mines to President Abdoulaye Wade from 6 April 2000 to 12 May 2003, as well as Director-General of the Petroleum Company of Senegal (Société des Pétroles du Sénégal, PETROSEN) from 13 December 2000 to 5 July 2001. He became Minister of Mines, Energy and Hydraulics on 12 May 2001, and he was promoted to the rank of Minister of State, while retaining his portfolio, on 6 November 2002. He additionally became the Mayor of Fatick on 1 June 2002.^[1]

On 27 August 2003, Sall was moved from his position as Minister of State for Mines, Energy and Hydraulics to that of Minister of State for the Interior and Local Communities, while also becoming Government Spokesman.^[1] He was then appointed as Prime Minister by President Wade on 21 April 2004, when his predecessor, Idrissa Seck, was dismissed.^[4] On 25 April 2004, Seck became Vice-President of the PDS Steering Committee.^[1]

Sall served as the director of Wade's re-election campaign for the February 2007 presidential election,^[5] in which Wade was victorious, obtaining a majority in the first round. After Wade was sworn in, Sall submitted his resignation on 10 April and was immediately reappointed, with the government unchanged.^[6]

President of the National Assembly[link]

In the June 2007 parliamentary election, Sall was elected to the National Assembly as a candidate on the national list of the Sopi Coalition.^[7] After the election, Wade appointed Minister Delegate for the Budget Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré as Prime Minister on 19 June, replacing Sall, who had resigned along with his government shortly beforehand. Sall said that he was proud of what he had accomplished as Prime Minister.^[8]

Sall was elected as President of the National Assembly one day later, on 20 June 2007; he was the only candidate and received 143 votes from the 146 deputies present.^[9] Sall and Wade came into conflict later in 2007 when Sall called Wade's son Karim, the President of the National Agency of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), for a hearing in the National Assembly regarding construction sites in Dakar for the OIC Summit planned to take place there in March 2008.^[10] This was perceived as an attempt by Sall to weaken Karim's position and possibly influence the eventual presidential succession in favor of himself, provoking the enmity of Wade and his loyalists within the PDS.^[11] In November 2007, the PDS Steering Committee abolished Sall's position of Deputy Secretary-General, which had been the second most powerful position in the party, and it decided to submit a bill to the National Assembly that would reduce the term of the President of the National Assembly from five years to one year.^[12] Following the death of Mourides religious leader Serigne Saliou Mbacké in late December 2007, his successor, Serigne Mouhamadou Lamine Bara Mbacké, asked Wade to forgive Sall; Wade then met with Sall and the two were said to have made peace in early January 2008.^[10]

Sall nevertheless remained at odds with the PDS leadership in 2008. In September 2008, a PDS deputy presented the bill to reduce the term of the President of the National Assembly to one year, and later in the month, Sall was called before the PDS Disciplinary Committee, although he did not appear. On this occasion, Sall was accused of divisive personal initiatives within the party; he also allegedly committed "acts aimed at undermining the image of the party and country", referring in particular to Sall's visits to the Senate of France and the United States Democratic Party's 2008 Convention. A statement released by Sall's political adviser condemned the move to discipline Sall as an "attempt at political liquidation".^[13]

On 13 October 2008, the National Assembly voted to reduce the term of the President of the National Assembly to one year; this was approved by President Wade on 21 October.^[14] Despite Sall's determined efforts to maintain his position,^[11] the National Assembly voted to dismiss him as President of the National Assembly on 9 November 2008.^[11][14] There were 111 votes in favor of his removal and 22 against it.^[14] Sall promptly announced that he was resigning from the PDS; this decision meant that he would lose his seat in the National Assembly, as well as his seat on Fatick's municipal council and his post as Mayor of Fatick.^[11] He also said that he would create a new party.^[15] Mamadou Seck was elected to replace Sall as President of the National Assembly on 16 November 2008.^[15][16]

In opposition[link]

Sall founded his own party, the Alliance for the Republic–Yaakaar, in early December 2008. The Interior Ministry accused Sall of money laundering on 26 January 2009; Sall denied this and said that the accusation was politically motivated. In late February 2009 it was decided not to prosecute Sall due to lack of evidence.^[17]

Following the March 2009 local election in Fatick, Sall was re-elected to his former post as Mayor in April 2009. He received 44 votes from the 45 municipal councillors present; the Sopi Coalition's five councillors were not present for the vote.^[18][19]

Presidency of Senegal[link]

The initial result of the 26 February, 2012 election saw Sall obtaining 26.5% of the vote against Wade's 34.8%, forcing a runoff.^[20] On 25 March, the presidential run-off was held, and Wade phoned Sall at 21:30 GMT to concede the race with congratulations.^[21] Sall was inaugurated as the fourth President of Senegal on 2 April. The next day he appointed technocrat Abdoul Mbaye as his prime minister.

Political positions[link]

Constitution and elections[link]

Sall is in favor of reverting to the previous term limits and lengths of office. For the second round of the presidential election, Sall called on all other losing candidates and disqualified candidate Youssou N'Dour to support him on the promise of returning to five-year terms from the previous seven-year term that Wade controversially restored; he also said he would ensure that no leader could hold more than two terms.^[22]

References[link]

v t e Prime Ministers of Senegal Dia abolished, 1962-70 Diouf Thiam Niasse* abolished, 1983-91 Thiam Loum Niasse Boye Seck Sall Soumaré Ndiaye Mbaye * acting

v t e Presidents of Senegal Léopold Sédar Senghor • Abdou Diouf • Abdoulaye Wade • Macky Sall

The verifiability of all or part of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. This article or section has been tagged since May 2010.

Oxmo Puccino
Background information
Birth name	Abdoulaye Diarra
Born	1974 Mali
Genres	Hip hop
Labels	Cinq7, Wagram Music
Website	http://www.oxmo.net/

Oxmo Puccino (born Abdoulaye Diarra in 1974) is a French hip hop musician.

Life[link]

Puccino was born in 1974 in Ségou, Mali. He came to Paris one year later, and lived in the XIXe arrondissement from the age of 5. He is the older brother of Mamoutou Diarra, a basketball player of some international renown. He appeared in the 2006 film Arthur and the Minimoys.

A longtime hip-hop fan, at age 21 Diarra began his collaboration with the fledgling rap collective Time Bomb, honing his craft alongside future superstars like Booba and Diam's. He quickly developed into a lyricist with a metaphorical ingenuity far more advanced than his contemporaries, crafting violent yet strangely poetic portraits of urban Paris life and drawing on the street-smart American hip-hop of the Notorious B.I.G. and other icons to document life in Paris' hardscrabble 19th district. In 1996 Oxmo Puccino made his recorded debut with Pucc. Fiction, a contribution to the compilation L432. A series of subsequent mixtape appearances solidified his growing reputation within the French rap underground, and in 1998 he issued his solo debut, Opéra Puccino. Its 2001 follow-up, L'Amour Est Mort, proved Puccino's creative and commercial breakthrough, while 2004's Le Cactus de Sibérie confirmed his star status. After signing to the venerable jazz label Blue Note, Puccino assembled a new backing group, the Jazzbastards, to record 2006's Lipopette Bar.^[1][2]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• 1998: Opéra Puccino
• 2001: L'amour est Mort
• 2004: Le Cactus de Sibérie
• 2006: Lipopette Bar
• 2007: La Réconciliation (Mixtape)
• 2009: L'Arme de Paix

Appearances[link]

• 1996: Pucc. Fiction
• 1997: Mama Lova
• 1998: Esprits Mafieux
• 1999: Black December
• 2000: Les plus class
• 2002: Le parcours d'une larme
• 2003: Derrière Les Projecteurs
• 2003: Tarif C (BO TAXI 3)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• Oxmo Puccino at the Internet Movie Database

This article about a French musician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e