2007年VOA标准英语-Guinea's Union Leaders Welcome Lighter Curfew,

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
19 February 2007

Union leaders in Guinea are welcoming a more relaxed curfew, but are pursuing a crippling strike action. They say they want President Lansana Conte to respect agreements signed in January that have been ignored. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Dakar.

One of the main union leaders, who initiated¹ the strike, Radiatou Serah Diallo, tells VOA she is open to dialogue with Mr. Conte, but that negotiations² are no longer needed.

She says he already signed agreements that led to the strike's brief suspension last month,

Guinean soldiers patrol a street in Conakry, Guinea, 19 Feb 2007

but then ignored them.

Following the deal, Mr. Conte unilaterally named officials to key national and foreign posts, and then appointed a close ally as new prime minister, Eugene Camara. This angered union leaders, opposition³ politicians and many young people who took to the streets again, and went on looting rampages. They had demanded an independent prime minister.

The renewed violence led to the establishment of a curfew, which was relaxed Monday, allowing people to move about from six in the morning, rather than starting at noon.

But the strike continues, with banks, government offices and major shops shut down, as has been the case for many weeks since the strike action first started in January.

A West African human-rights activist⁴, Ibrahima Kane, is not surprised by the strike's lasting⁵ power. He says Guineans are fed up with Mr. Conte's autocratic rule since a coup⁶ in 1984.

"The society in Guinea has changed. People in Guinea are also looking at the life of people in the sub-region. It was the same situation in Mali. People managed to get rid of [former military ruler] Moussa Traore," said Kane. "Now, they have a very democratic country, a very democratic society. It was recently the same situation in Mauritania [where] people tried, even [if it was] with the help of the army, but they are now trying to organize a better society. It was even [the same] in the neighboring country, Guinea-Bissau, two years ago, the same situation and it has changed. The only country that is not changing in 30 years in the subregion is Guinea-Conakry."

In Guinea, the few times there have been attempts at mass demonstrations⁷ during the strike action, there has been fierce military repression⁸, leaving more than 100 people dead.

A West Africa analyst⁹ with the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, Gilles Yabi, says the presidential guard, in particular played a key role in stopping demonstrations around the center of Conakry.

"The presidential guard is mainly composed of people from the same ethnic¹⁰ area, and even from the same family as President Conte, so these people are enjoying important economic privileges. So, we can expect them to be more loyal to President Conte, and again even follow him, even during bad situations for [Mr.] Conte himself," said Yabi.

Yabi says divisions could be possible within the army, but that this has yet to happen.

"There are a lot of high ranking officials who came to power at the same time as [Mr.] Conte, and who are completely associated to the regime. I think, they are also in a difficult situation now, and they are certainly trying to evaluate what will be best for them to follow [Mr.] Conte again for a few weeks, or now to try to change the tide, and then to have a future in a new Guinea," added Yabi.

The latest strike action started after Mr. Conte unilaterally freed two allies, who had been jailed as part of a corruption¹¹ probe, amid grinding poverty, rising prices and crumbling¹² government services.

1 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

5 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

6 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

7 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

8 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

9 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

10 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

11 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

12 crumbling   

adj.摇摇欲坠的

参考例句：

• an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
• The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。