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Conte LansanaPresident of the Republic of Guinea
Date of Birth: 01.01.1934
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Content:
Early Life and Military Education
Born:1934, Moussayah Village, Dubreka ProvinceEthnicity:Susu
Lansana Conté received his military training at military schools in Bouar (Côte d'Ivoire) and Saint-Louis (Senegal). From 1955 to 1958, he served in the French Army and joined the Guinean Army in 1959.
Military Career
In 1962, Conté graduated from the officer training school at Camp Alpha Yaya in Conakry and held command positions in various military garrisons throughout the country. In 1970, he led an operation in Conakry against an armed aggression by Portuguese mercenaries.
From 1971 to 1975, Conté served as commander of the Boké operational zone on the border with Guinea-Bissau. From 1975 until April 1984, he was Chief of Staff of the Army.
Rise to Power
On April 3, 1984, when the military came to power in Guinea led by the Military Committee for National Recovery (CMRN), Conté became its Chairman. On April 5, 1984, he was proclaimed President of the Republic of Guinea.
Presidency
Conté served as both President and Head of Government from December 1984 to July 1996. He also held the position of Defense Minister from April 1984 to December 1985. In the multi-party presidential elections held on December 19, 1993, he received 51.7% of the votes.
On February 2, 1996, Conté narrowly escaped death in a presidential palace bombing during an attempted coup. He was re-elected on December 14, 1998 (with 56.1% of the votes) and again on December 21, 2003 (with 95.6% of the votes).
