President Ahmed Sékou Touré at the Andrews AFB in Maryland, arriving for a state visit to the United States on 29 June 1982, twenty-three months before his death and the 1984 coup.
The military struck just hours before the Politburo of the Democratic Party of Guinea (PDG), the only legally permitted party in the country, was to select a new leader. Interim president Beavogui was expected to win.[1] Under the Constitution, the PDG's leader would have been automatically elected to a seven-year term as president, and would have been confirmed in office via a referendum.
Eventually, a power struggle developed between Conté and a fellow member of the CMNR, Lieutenant Colonel Diarra Traoré (who briefly served as Prime Minister in April–December 1984), with the latter being executed in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt in July 1985.[6][7] Conté took advantage of the coup attempt to execute several of Ahmed Sekou Touré's close associates, including his half-brother Ismaël Touré (former chief prosecutor at Camp Boiro), Mamadi Keïta, Siaka Touré (former commander of Camp Boiro), Moussa Diakité,[8] and Abdoulaye Touré (former Minister of Foreign Affairs).[9]