Cellou Dalein Diallo

Cellou Dalein Diallo (born February 3, 1952 [http://www.french.xinhuanet.com/french/2004-12/15/content_56974.htm "Le nouveau PM guinéen définit des priorités de son gouvernement"] , Xinhua, December 14, 2004 fr icon.] ) is a Guinean economist and politician who was Prime Minister of Guinea from 2004 to 2006.

Diallo, a member of the Fula ethnic group,Cheikh Yérim Seck, [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_jeune_afrique.asp?art_cle=LIN07017celloollaid0 "Cellou Dalein Diallo"] , Jeuneafrique.com, January 7, 2007 fr icon.] [http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=58696 "GUINEA: Sacked prime minister speaks out"] , IRIN, April 7, 2006.] was born in the village of Dalein, near Labé. He studied at the University of Conakry and the Center for Financial, Economic and Banking Studies in Paris, and in 1976 he became an inspector of trade. [http://www.radio-kankan.com/PREMIERS-MINISTRES.726.0.html Short biography of Diallo and other prime ministers] , Radio Kankan fr icon.] He began working at the Bank of Foreign Trade of Guinea in 1982, and from 1985 to 1995 he worked at the Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea. After briefly working at the Administration and Control of Great Projects ("l’Administration et Contrôle des Grands Projets", ACGP), he joined the government in July 1996 as Minister of Transport, Telecommunications and Tourism. He was subsequently moved to the position of Minister of Infrastructure in October 1997, where he remained until he was appointed Minister of Public Works and Transport on March 12 1999. [http://web.archive.org/web/20040314054836/http://www.presse-francophone.org/francophonie/francophonie_gouvernements_guinee.htm List of members of the government] (2004 archive page), presse-francophone.org fr icon.] After UTA Flight 141, a flight from Guinea, crashed in Cotonou, Benin in December 2003, Diallo said that there was no proof that his ministry had been neglectful of safety and that he would not resign. ["Guinea: Minister says will not resign over plane crash", Guineenews (nl.newsbank.com), January 3, 2004.]

Having served for five years as Minister of Public Works and Transport, he was named Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture on February 23 2004, and on December 9 2004, he was appointed as Prime Minister by Guinean President Lansana Conté. [http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44625&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=GUINEA "GUINEA: New prime minister finally appointed after eight-month gap"] , IRIN, December 10, 2004.] The position of Prime Minister had previously been vacant since April 2004. He took office as Prime Minister on December 13.

Diallo was viewed as a reformist and acquired a good international reputation. While in office, he worked against corruption. On April 4 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, [http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=58666 "GUINEA: Prime minister Diallo sacked in possible power struggle"] , IRIN, April 5, 2006.] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4881110.stm "Guinea PM fired in 'power tussle'"] , BBC News, April 5, 2006.] including those of economy, finance, international cooperation, and planning. The decree approving the changes was said to be signed by 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 the Secretary-General of the Presidency, Fodé Bangoura, was not 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.

On November 8 2007, the opposition Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG) announced that it had appointed Diallo as its President, succeeding Mamadou Ba. [ [http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2217768,00.html "Former PM joins opposition"] , Sapa (News24.com), November 8, 2007.] After he took office as the group's leader, Diallo said on November 15 that he believed that Conté would not run in the 2010 presidential election; he also said that he "always maintained good relations with General Lansana Conté and his family". [ [http://www.afriquenligne.fr/actualites/politique/guinee%3a-pour-un-%22forfait%22-de-lansana-conte-en-2010-2007111611564/ "Guinée: Pour un "forfait" de Lansana Conté en 2010"] , Panapress (afriquenligne.fr), November 16, 2007 fr icon.]

Following the appointment of Ahmed Tidiane Souaré as Prime Minister, Diallo was present, along with other former ministers, when Souaré gave a press conference on May 22 2008. [ [http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=78376 "GUINEA: Appointment of new PM "violates" union agreement"] , IRIN, May 23, 2008.] On May 28, he was one of the party leaders who met with Souaré to discuss the formation of a national unity government. [ [http://apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=65118 "Guinean PM, politicians discuss formation of union govt"] , African Press Agency, May 29, 2008.]

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