Final Update

So I'm back. Where do I start you off? I've actually been back for about a month now. I'm doing a little trip around the states. I'm currently in St. Louis visiting my sister. Next is Montana, then California. I'm trying to see all those people who have moved away since I've been gone. Plus, I have no job or any other commitment to keep me in Bryn Athyn. Its very strange to be back. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. My thoughts often drift back to Guinea. I look at my pictures a lot. I wonder how they're all doing. I need to get back there and see them. I need to get my life going.

For this blog I have mostly been telling you about my personal experiences and adding bits about Guinea relevant to me. I've sort of steered clear of the political situation up until my latest blog on corruption. The government of Guinea had only indirect effects on my service and thus it did not merit much attention in my blogs. However, about two and half months ago, the people of Guinea started their own little revolution to overthrow the president, Lansana Conte (pronounced 'contay'), and his corrupt government. As you might have guessed, this didn't go smoothly and Peace Corps Guinea was evacuated as a result. Just by coincidence this happened right at the end of my service. What a way to end it.

Before continuing, if you haven't yet read the first blog about Conte and the revolution, I suggest you read it. My friend Chris K managed to summarize it much better than I ever could. I'll just tell you a little bit about what happened with me in that context.

It was certainly an amazing thing to have been in Guinea for the two years leading up to this momentous period in their history. I saw a country abundantly rich in natural resources somehow spiral deeper and deeper into poverty while those working for Conte got richer and richer. I saw the price of just about everything quadruple while salaries remained more or less the same. I saw the citizens go from having a certain degree of reverence for their president to openly declaring their desire to see him removed from office. I saw a group of some of the most peaceful, easygoing people pushed to their limits. Violence is the last thing Guineans want and the fact that they were forced to these extremes blows my mind.

During my service, Peace Corps Guinea went on 'Standfast' four times. The first standfast took place in late December, 2005. Standfast, for Peace Corps, is a safety precaution and simply means that all volunteers must stay where they are and not travel anywhere. Those people who are at their sites have to check in everyday on their radio. Most of the standfasts were a direct result of the strikes and the possibility of violence. Up until this last strike everything thing was relatively peaceful. Volunteers often discussed the possibility of evacuation and by the time this last strike came, we were all thinking that something had to change soon or the people just wouldn't take it anymore. Conte never listened to them before, why would he listen to them this time?

Anyway, I was in Dabiss (my site, for those of you who don't know by know) for this last strike. I got there a few days before the strike began and stayed there for three weeks while I waited to see what would happen. The strike had been postponed over and over so I had no idea if it was going to happen or not. But it did. I'd done this before. No big deal. Something seemed slightly different about this one though. At the end of each day, all the men whipped out their radios and listened to the news from Conakry. As the strike went on, the situation got worse and worse. People started talking about Conte and how they wanted him out, something I'd never heard before. Before, it was just something you didn't do. You don't say bad things in public about your president, even if what you're saying is true. It's just something you don't do. No disrespect for authority figures, no matter how badly they treat you.

I would go around talking to the villagers, asking them what they thought about the situation and what they thought would happen. Every one of them would reply in the same way. "Oh, the strike is getting very serious. But nobody wants a war. We don't want to see any fighting. We don't think it will happen." Almost everyone assured me that it wouldn't get to the point where people started killing each other. I wasn't so sure. I kept telling them that if this strike went on much longer, I might get evacuated which means I would leave and never come back. They assured me it would be safe for me to stick around.

Of course, during this three week period I was preparing myself to leave Dabiss forever, just in case. I only had about a month left there anyway and even if we got temporarily 'consolidated' for a little while in another country, I was pretty sure I wouldn't be coming back. And as the strike continued, this possibility looked more and more likely. So I started saying my goodbyes. I secretly hoped that it wouldn't happen and I really had no idea if it would so I didn't tell people that I might be leaving. They were more like silent goodbyes. I preparing myself to leave. Spending more and more time with all the people. Making the most of my time left. Then one morning, I called to check in and they told me to pack my bags, that someone would pick me up the next day and within three days we'd all be driven across the country to Mali and wait out the rest of the strike. It was surreal. I walked back to my hut and started making piles of stuff to take home, stuff to leave with Peace Corps and stuff to give away. My service is over!! All of this, I'll never be in my town again. I didn't tell anybody. The next morning. I called to make sure it was actually happening that day. When I got the confirmation, I went down and told everyone. I took pictures and said my goodbyes. It all happened so quickly. Within a few hours I was gone.

In retrospect, this was actually a decent way for me to leave (excluding the country's situation of course). I had been agonizing over how to say goodbye to all these people I'd gotten so close to over the last two years. I wasn't going to leave for another month and the goodbyes were already beginning. They were going to be long, drawn-out and painful. This way, it was quick and very simple. I only regret not being able to say goodbye to those who weren't around that day and all my friends who lived in Boke. I also felt bad about leaving them in this worsening situation. But there was nothing I could do. Once again, like during my training, saying goodbye to my host mother was by far the hardest. I had a deeper relationship and understanding with her than I had with any other person and it was tough to think that I might never see her again. She'll always be with me and I really hope I have the chance to go back and see her.

I spent the next three weeks in the Peace Corps training site outside of Bamako, Mali with all 100 or so Guinea volunteers. Mali is a beautiful, amazing country, with a rich culture. Bamako is extremely developed compared to Conakry. The whole country seems to have its act together. All the roads are in good shape. There is reliable phone service. Though it is certainly a third-world country, it amazing to see the difference it makes when you have a government that is actually serving the interests of the people. It gives you hope for places like Guinea.

Anyways, we spent this time in Bamako closely monitoring the situation in Guinea debating whether or not we'd go back, trying to call friends and family who weren't so lucky as to be evacuated from all the danger. I was concerned about everyone I knew in Guinea but I was also happy in a way. I was happy to see that the people are finally doing what it takes to turn their country around. After being there for two years and watching things only get worse, it was so inspiring to see the people stand up for themselves. It brings tears to my eyes to think of all those Guineans I know who were willing to stand up to their oppressors and die for their country. I know how easy it is to complain about our own government, and though I know we're not perfect or anything, I'll never take it for granted.

On a lighter note, our 'consolidation' had some upsides. Since we had virtually no responsibilities during this time and since they gave us a per diem, we had plenty of time to explore the amazing city of Bamako and hang out with each other. It was like college, but with no classes. And as fun as it sounds, you can probably believe it also got pretty tiring after awhile. When we heard that the Embassy issued an 'ordered departure' for all US citizens, we knew that we weren't going back and people started the process of going home or transferring to other countries.

I recently bought a new laptop. Almost everyday I browse through all the pictures I took. It helps when I get lost in a daze on the internet. The supermarkets here are incredibly overwhelming. Too many options. Its strange that I have to get in a car and drive everyday when I need to get somewhere. I miss the community feeling you get when you're Africa. I miss greeting strangers on the streets. Its so good to see all my family and friends. I love all the fancy gadgets and good food we get here. I saw that movie "An Inconvenient Truth" and I think about how its a luxury to even be able to worry about global warming. It sure is scary, but its so strange to come from a place where this is a non-issue. Its a problem that will surely affect Africa in someway someday, but it originated elsewhere and there's nothing they can do to fix it. Life seems so much simpler over there. I miss it badly. I'm already thinking about how and when I'm going to go back and visit or work in Africa. I want to know that my family over there is OK. I can't imagine what it must have been like for them. I just want to be there right now. I feel out of place here and I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself. I can't really describe to you what it was like to live in Dabiss for two years and how accustomed I was to life there. It changed me deeply. It was unforgettable. If any of you or anyone you know is thinking of doing Peace Corps, feel free to contact me. I have a lot to say about it. Thanks to all of you for reading my thoughts and stories. Take care,

Anders

Things are going a little more smoothly now in Guinea. Lansana Conte appointed a prime minister who was chosen by the labor unions and accepted by the people. The new prime minister, Mr. Kouyaté assembled an entirely new government that Conté has approved. In his broadcast to the people Mr. Kouyaté is quoted as saying: "I have formed a government team which the president has seen fit to accept, and which will immediately tackle the problems we face" (Full arictle- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6505263.stm)

Read first - Chris K's letter

This is a letter from an older Guinea volunteer who was closely monitoring the situation in Guinea. He put together a great little paper on what happened. Here it is...

Dear friend,

As you know, I served two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea , West Africa teaching English in a small town called Tougué. Everyday living was difficult for most Guineans and has only gotten worse in recent months. An example: A 50kg bag of rice, which cost 50,000fg back in July 2004, is today sold at 500,000fg. Meanwhile, a civil servant's salary has stag nate d at around 600.000fg/month (much less for teachers and other low-ranking employees), meaning that a month's supply of food often exceeds a civil servant's entire monthly salary. In addition, government salaries are often withheld and delayed for no reason. Many teachers weren't paid for more than 8 months last year.

I left Guinea in June 2006 to the sounds of gunfire in the streets of the capital. The country was then in the midst of a general strike demanding for wage increases. Guineans were telling us at that time that the situation couldn't hold out much longer. At the last minute, however, the government was able to hold off political protests by promising an 10% wage hike to all state employees. Eight months later, it has never delivered on even this meager promise and last month, the issue came to a head when jilted union leaders galvanized to launch an unlimited general strike to absolutely paralyze all activity in the country.

The goal of this new strike was to see that the original promises of wage increases be met, along with with new price controls on basic commodities (rice, kerosene for lamps, and gas for transportation) so that Guineans could continue to work and feed their families. The strike relaunched peacefully on January 10th, but the government made it clear early on that it was unwilling to make concessions. And the strike leaders decided to make the strike political for the first time in recent years, demanding sweeping government reforms, including the creation of a new post to handle executive duties.

Why the government has shown itself unable to meet the strike leaders demands is not hard to understand if you've followed the Guinean economy: The government is bankrupt, the result of decadent and systematic corruption over recent years that earned Guinea a ranking as the second most corrupt country in the world (source: Transparency International study, 2006). Most news agencies have taken to describing the government as "kleptocracy:" Those who own posts of power steal money destined to fund projects and development to buy themselves mansions and Mercedes. In short, the country languishes in poverty and fails to provide basic services, such as electricity and running water, in its capital and major cities (the vast majority of the country has never been electrified and is without running water).

As the government has shown itself unwilling and unable to carry out its basic functions, strike leaders changed their demands in late January, demanding that President Lansana Conté and his entire Congress step down from power. On January 22nd, tens of thousands of ordinary Guineans spontaneously took to the streets, carrying banners such as "We are ready to die for change." President Conté obliged them, ordering the army to open fire on protesters on the crowds. More than 60 people were killed in confrontations across the country on that day.

Conté, for those unfamiliar with him, is a former Guinean military colonel, "a chain-smoking diabetic" (source: Reuters) who has never completed high school and crowned himself General upon assuming power in a bloodless coup after the death of the country's previous president-turned-dictator, Ahmed Sékou Touré. He added the title "President" after a rigged election several years later to appease donor nations. After the bloodbath of the 22nd, Conté offered no apology for his actions, crowing instead that he has "never lost a war." Such a comment shows that he views a popular movements by his own citizens as an act of war and has no compunction about razing his country and killing his own people in order to "win" another.

A few days after the bloodshed of the 22nd, union leaders and the president reached a tentative compromise, through which the president would cede almost all executive power to a Prime Minister chosen from a list of candidates provided by union leaders. Two tense weeks passed with only sporadic violence. Then, last weekend, the president named his new PM, choosing someone not only not on the list of candidates, but whose previous job experience comes from rigging Conté's most recent landslide election victory in 2002. As one of my fellow volunteers still in country wrote, "it's as if Conté himself spit in the face of each and every Guinean."

Upon hearing news of the nomination this weekend, many Guineans, well aware of the risks they were taking, took to the streets again, this time with a view towards destroying the palatial estates of many of those close to Conté who've benefited from his corrupt reign. The army, however, was prepared, and responded to the new wave of protests with tanks and urban assault vehicles. At least 20 people are estimated to have died on Monday, and many more the next day. Conté refused to retract his nomination and instead declared a state of siege in the country for the next two weeks, banning all traffic, pedestrian and vehicular, but for four hours during the day. He has given the army explicit orders to shoot on sight any violators.

All this means, of course, the end of Peace Corps in Guinea (all current volunteers have long since been safely evacuated and are sitting in limbo in Bamako , Mali awaiting word if they can transfer to other countries in West Africa or if they must go home). All other humanitarian agencies are evacuating the country, but as all commercial flights in or out of the country have been suspended, many are still stuck in the capital. The U.S. Embassy yesterday evacuated all its non-essential personnel.

Can one dictator suppress the will of the people? Conté has shown himself determined to see his reign through to the bitter end, while preening his son, "Captain" (a fictitious title) Ousmane Conté, to succeed him upon his death. Conté has also shown his dictatorial reach in withdrawing a million dollars in personal funds to hire 400 mercenaries (former rebels Conté supported in Liberia's recent civil war) to protect him and his possessions and to send his wives and children to France. He even has allowed foreign soldiers from neighboring Guinea-Bissau into the capital last month to help put down the violent protests, when he feared his own soldiers would hesitate shooting at their fellow countrymen.

In recent days, Conté has further tightened his grip on the country. He refuses to receive delegates from neighboring West African states who seek to facilitate peace talks between the government and strike leaders. In the last week, he has shut down all private radio stations after one called for his removal from power. He regularly disrupts service of the state-run telephone company in order to prevent citizens from organizing against him. Two days ago, he handed out promotions to everyone currently enrolled in the army (turning all privates into corporals, all captains into majors, and so on), regardless of merit, as a means of increasing pay and ensuring loyalty within the ranks.

This new found level in carnage and bloodshed in a country I just recently knew as easy-going and peaceful is hard to fathom. When I was a volunteer, Guineans constantly amazed me for their tolerance for living conditions most would find impossible. My friends got by somehow, always peaceful and almost always friendly--with a healthy amount of what-can-you-do complaining, of course. This has changed in less than a year and now I'm hearing from these same people that the deaths of their countrymen in recent days will not be forgotten and that they, too, will fight to bring an end to Conté's reign. I want to emphasize what a remarkable transformation it is to hear this new resolve in the voices and actions of ordinary people. Perhaps it is the natural, though long-overdue reaction, of a people who've been pushed to the brink.

Who will break first? I would optimistically assume the government, but given Conté's delusions (he's quoted as saying Guineans must to accept his rule as "the will of God"), I'm loathe to imagine how far he is willing to go to ensure the succession of his rule passes from father to son, and how many Guineans he's willing to take with him, in order to realize that nightmarish vision, as the country spirals into anarchy. We can only wait and watch.

I'm asking that you please keep Guinea and Guineans in your thoughts over the next few weeks. Even if you know nothing else of country, know this: 10 million people who've suffered under the yoke of oppression for 50 years under French colonization, and then for 50 more under barely disguised dictators, are standing up for what they believe in and doing whatever they can to bring an end to a kleptocracy, risking their lives and those of their families in doing so.

Here are a few English websites for staying up-to-date on what's happening: http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa ( http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=57604&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Guinea )

www.bbcafrica.com ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6355873.stm )

www.reuters.com ( http://today.reuters.com/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=L12889231)

Feel free to pass this email on to others so that we don't allow another tragedy in our world to unfold without our even being aware.

Take care,

Chris Kirchgasler
Peace Corps Volunteer , Guinea (2004-06)