Mohamed Diané (born 1971 in Conakry) is a Guinean politician from a family of Muslim scholars from Kankan. A brilliant academic trained in genetics in Guinea and Bulgaria, he began an academic career before joining the Rassemblement du Peuple Guinéen (RPG) of Alpha Condé in the 1990s.
Becoming a close adviser to the president after the 2010 victory, Diané held strategic positions as Minister of Defence and Director of the Civil Cabinet until the 2021 coup. Arrested by the military junta who accused him of massive financial malversations under the overthrown regime.
Introduction
Mohamed Diané has long been regarded as one of Guinea's most powerful men under the regime of Alpha Condé. This trained academic, who became Minister of Defence, was known for his loyalty to the fallen president. However, his fate took a sudden turn after the September 5, 2021 coup that overthrew Condé. Accused of massive financial malversations, Diané was arrested, imprisoned and tried by the ruling military junta. His career illustrates the issues of power and governance in Guinea.
Childhood and Education
Mohamed Diané was born on November 14, 1971, in Conakry, to a family from Kankan, a historic fief of the Malinké ethnicity. Originating from a line of Muslim scholars, his great-grandfather, Lansana Diané, was a respected counselor and a reputable Koranic teacher. This ancestry shaped from an early age the values of work and integrity of Mohamed Diané.
A brilliant student, Mohamed Diané began his postgraduate studies at the University of Conakry. After a bachelor's degree in biology, he specialized in genetics, a field in which he obtained a doctorate in 1981. His academic talents helped him to be recruited as a faculty assistant.
In 1984, Diané received a scholarship to pursue her research at the Institute of Plant Biotechnology in Sofia, Bulgaria. There he prepared a thesis on in vitro crops, which was successfully supported in 1989. This experiment marked the beginning of a promising scientific career.
Professionnal career
On his return to Guinea in 1990, Mohamed Diané reintegrated to the University of Conakry as a research teacher. For 15 years, he gave courses in genetics, cytology and embryology, gradually making his mark in the academic community of Guinea.
Political career
It was at the contact of the Guinea diaspora in Belgium in 1988 that Mohamed Diané adhered to the ideals of the Rassemblement du Peuple Guinéen (RPG), the main opposition party at the time. On his return home he participated in the structuring of the party alongside figures such as Malick Condé. Elected to parliament in 1995, however, he was prevented from teaching by the authorities, who suspected him of being a threat.
When the RPG was transformed into Arc-en-Ciel RPG in 2010, Mohamed Diané was one of the main artisans of the rallying of political forces around Alpha Condé. His role was decisive in his victory in the presidential election.
Minister
Appointed Minister in 2010, Mohamed Diané began a brilliant ascension. He successively occupied the portfolios of Education, Environment and especially Defence from 2015. In this strategic position, he managed to federate the armed forces around the regime of Alpha Condé.
As Minister of Defence, Diané launched several ambitious reforms, such as the modernization of military equipment and the training of troops. It became one of the pillars of the Condé system.
Discreet but influential, Mohamed Diané had established close ties with President Alpha Condé. Considered as his right hand, he was fully trusted and advised the head of state on many matters. This proximity to the top of the state allowed him to weigh on the main reforms of the regime.
In the educational sector in particular, Diané worked to improve access to education and the quality of teachers' training. His efforts, however, were hampered by limited resources and persistent political tensions.
Arrest and imprisonment
When the coup d'état of 5 September 2021 overthrew the power in place, Mohamed Diané was immediately in the eye of the military junta led by Mamady Doumbouya. Very soon, accusations of massive financial malversations under Alpha Condé's regime were brought against him.
Diané was arrested at his home on October 10, 2021 by the forces of the National Committee of the Assembly for Development (CNRD). He was transferred to the Central Prison of Conakry and placed in pre-trial detention pending judicial proceedings.
After two years of interim detention heavily criticized by NGOs, Mohamed Diané finally appeared before the Court for the Suppression of Economic and Financial Crimes (CRIEF) in March 2024. His high-profile trial was full of controversy and unceasing postponements.
Private life
Very discreet about his personal life, little is known about the family environment of Mohamed Diané. Married and father of family, he benefited from the steadfast support of his family during his long imprisonment and his rocambolesque trial.
Conclusion
The fate of Mohamed Diané illustrates both the possible deviations of political power in Guinea, but also the efforts of the junta to combat financial malversations. Formerly the right arm of the fallen president, adored by some as a figure of technocratic competence, denounced by others as a symbol of widespread corruption, his fate will surely have marked the recent political history of Guinea.
Some will see it as an example of implacable justice against the deviations of the previous regime. Others will denounce the political instrumentalization of justice by legitimacy-loving coupists. Whatever the truth is, the name of Mohamed Diané will remain associated with Guinea's torments in the quest for a rule of law worthy of that name.
