1996 Guinean coup attempt

1996 Guinean coup attempt
Date February 2 - February 3 Location Conakry, Guinea Result Failed coup attempt; government retains control
Belligerents
Republic of Guinea Armed Forces	Dissenting faction of the armed forces
Commanders and leaders
Lansana Conte	Gbago Zoumanigul Lt. Lamine Diarra
Strength
Unknown	2000 soldiers
Casualties and losses
20-40 deaths

The 1996 Guinean coup attempt was the failed coup d'état in Guinea by dissident elements within the Guinean military against the Lansana Conte government. Originally a mutiny over a pay dispute, where around two thousand soldiers demanded higher pay and better benefits, it then escalated into an attempted military overthrow which nearly toppled the government. By February 3, an agreement had been reached and state radio instructed soldiers to return to their units.

The coup attempt reportedly began in the early hours of February 2 in the nation's capital - Conakry. During the twelve-hour-long clashes against the government forces, the rebels seized control of the capital's deserted city center and continuously shelled the presidential palace, making it catch on fire. The bloody clashes resulted in as many as forty deaths, mostly civilians. Rebel forces also captured President Conte, yet he was later freed after promising to raise soldiers' salaries.

In the aftermath of the failed coup, around a hundred military personnel were arrested: forty were later released due to insufficient evidence while fifty-seven still remained in detention as of January 1998. Commander Gbago Zoumanigul, A key figure in instigating the coup, fled the country to Libya, while another important leader - Lieutenant Lamine Diarra - was handed over to government authorities after trying to seek refuge in the Malian embassy of the capital. Several top army officials implicated still remained at large, including Colonel Ibrahima Sory Diallo, Colonel Abdouramane Kaba, Sama Panival Bangoura, Mohammad Lamine Traore, and Oumah Soumah.