Guinea President survives rocket attack, reassures population

Guinea's newly-installed president Alpha Conde survived a rocket attack on his residence that left one dead Tuesday, bringing into sharp focus the challenges he faces to stabilize the country.
  
Conde, who addressed the nation on state television hours later in a bid to appease fears that the coup-prone west African country was slipping back into violence barely half a year after he came to power, congratulated the presidential guard who fought heroically from 3:10 am until 5:00 am (local and GMT) before backup arrived.
  
Heavy gunfire erupted around Conde's house in the capital Conakry's Kipe district and the president's residential compound was hit by a rocket, according to witnesses and state radio.
  
Former army chief Nouhou Thiam - who was fired by Conde shortly after he took office - was arrested in the wake of the attack and was being held at a Conakry police station, his wife told AFP.
  
Meanwhile, an official source told AFP that top government and army leaders were summoned to an emergency meeting by Prime Minister Mohamed Said Fofana.

For his part, Presidential chief of staff Francois Fall told AFP that one member of presidential guard was mkilled in the fighting. Two other soldiers were injured.
  
The tension comes seven months after Conde took office following his victory over rival Cellou Dalein Diallo in the country's first democratic election since independence from France in 1958.
  
Diallo, who is currently in Dakar, called for an investigation and told AFP the attack was regrettable. "I hope it doesn't affect the nation's unity, democratic process and already fragile social fabric," he said.
  
The president tried to reassure the population Tuesday that his grip on power was tight. "Our enemies can try everything, but they cannot prevent the Guinean people's march towards democracy. Democracy has begun and it will continue, I promised you change and, God willing, change will happen," he said.

"Guinea is one country, we are united, we cannot develop if we are not united and we will not accept being divided," Conde said.  
  
France condemned the attack and urged the military to commit to democracy but also stressed that polls needed to be held soon. "It is important that democracy in Guinea now be consolidated, through calm and respectful political dialogue of all concerned and by holding legislative elections soon," foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said.
  
Guinea has a long history of coups and attempted coups, the last coming in December 2008 when a young army officer, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, seized power after the death of Lansana Conte, who had been in power 24 years.