Prime Minister
On 9 December 2004, Diallo was appointed as Prime Minister by Guinean President Lansana Conté. The position of Prime Minister had previously been vacant since April 2004 due to the resignation of Francois Lonseny Fall. Diallo took office as Prime Minister on 13 December.
Diallo—who speaks English in addition to French—played a role in the Conte regime. However, allegation of corruption coupled with disagreements with Conté's top associates, particularly Fodé Bangoura, the Secretary-General of the Presidency, and Mamadou Sylla, a wealthy businessman, culminated with Diallo's removal from his prime minister post.
On 4 April 2006, changes to the government which would have greatly increased Diallo's power were announced. These changes would have replaced a number of ministers with Diallo's own allies and would have placed Diallo personally in charge of several portfolios, including those of economy, finance, international cooperation, and planning. The decree approving the changes was said to be signed by President Conté, but it was later speculated that Conté might not have realized the significance of what he was signing at the time. A radio broadcast announcing the changes was interrupted by soldiers, which was said to be because Fodé Bangoura had not been notified in advance. On the next day, it was announced that Diallo's changes were reversed, and a few hours later it was announced that Diallo had been dismissed as Prime Minister "for serious misconduct".
Although there were subsequently reports that Diallo had been placed under house arrest, he denied this in an interview with IRIN and thanked Conté for maintaining confidence in him during his time in the government.
Read more about this topic: Cellou Dalein Diallo
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