Union for the New Republic (UNR) and the government's attitude toward its members (July 2003) [GIN41766.FE]

No information on the current existence of the Union for the New Republic (Union pour la nouvelle république, UNR) could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, one source indicated that the UNR joined the Party for Renewal and Progress (Parti pour le renouveau et le progrès, PRP) in 1998 in order to form the Union for Progress and Renewal (Union pour le progrès et le renouveau, UPR) (Europa 2002 2002, 1861; see also GIN38911.E of 8 August 2002).

A recent article from Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent nevertheless mentioned [translation] "the rift between [Siradiou] Diallo and Mamadou Bhoye Bâ since the disintegration [in] June 2002 of the UPR, into which they had merged their two parties in 1998" (15-21 June 2003, 95). In its 4 November 2002 issue, Afrique-Express announced that Mamadou Bâ, [translation] "former honourary president of the Union for Progress and Renewal (UPR)," had been elected president of the Union of Guinea's Democratic Forces (Union des forces démocratiques de Guinée, UFDG) on 19 October 2002. The same source explained that the UPR's decision to have run candidates in the legislative elections of 30 June [2002] divided the party, and resulted in the birth of a [translation] "reformist trend" called the UPR-bis (Afrique-Express 4 Nov. 2002). The source also added that [translation] "it was these activists and leaders who joined the UFDG" (ibid.).

Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent indicated that Mamadou Bhoye Bâ, president of the UFDG, also took on the role of [translation] "president of the governing council of the FRAD [Republican Front for Democratic Change (Front républicain pour l'alternance démocratique)] ... [which is] a group comprising the main opposition parties" that includes, among others, Siradiou Diallo's UPR and Jean-Marie Doré's Union for the People of Guinea (Union du peuple de Guinée, UPG) (15-21 June 2003, 94).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References


Afrique-Express. 4 November 2002. No. 258. "Guinée : Mamadou Bâ, démissionnaire de l'UPR, élu président de l'UFDG." http://www.afrique-express.com/archive/OUEST/guinee/guineepol/258mamadouba.htm [Accessed 14 July 2003]

The Europa World Year Book 2002. 2002. 42nd ed. Vol. 1. London: Europa Publications.

Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent [Paris]. 15-21 June 2003. No. 2214. Cheikh Yérim Seck. "Guinée : une opposition en quête de stratégie."

Additional Sources Consulted


Africa Confidential

Africa Research Bulletin

Dialog

IRB Databases

Keesing's Record of World Events

Political Parties of the World. 2002

Resource Centre country file. Guinea

West Africa

Internet sites, including:

Africatime

Allafrica

Amnesty International

BBC Africa

Boubah.com

Guinée actualités

FIDH

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

IRIN

La Lance [Conakry]

MISNA

Associated documents