Minister gets fired more than once in less than one week

The Guinean President, Gen. Lansana Conte, on Monday sacked Sam Mamady Soumah as minister for the second time in less than a week for “desertion of post,” according to a presidential decree read on the state-owned Guinean Radio television (RTG). Soumah, who was first sacked on Friday as Minister and Presidency Secretary, was on Sunday appointed Senior Minister for Presidential Affairs. He has been replaced by Alpha Ibrahima Kéïra, who previously served as Minister for Civil Service and then Transport. Soumah, a former ally of President Conte, has now been redeployed to the civil service. In a second decree also read on RTG, President Conte sacked Idrissa Thiam, the head of the state protocol, for “gross misconduct”.