CONAKRY, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Guinea's new president Alpha Conde appointed former commerce ministry official Mohamed Said Fofana as prime minister, according to an announcement on state television on Friday.
Conde won an election on Nov. 7 billed as the country's first free poll since independence from France in 1958, completing a transition from nearly two years of military leadership.
'Mohamed Said Fofana, formerly the director of economic research, is appointed prime minister,' according to the presidential decree.
A source close to Conde said the new premier was well connected internationally. 'It is not someone who is well known to the public, but he has good relationships abroad from his work in the commerce ministry,' said the source, who declined to be named.
Conde has already named Mohamed Diane, a member of Conde's RPG party, as cabinet director and Francois Louceny, one of his rival candidates in the first round of voting in June, as secretary general of the presidency and minister of state.
Guinea is the world's largest supplier of aluminium ore bauxite and players in the mining industry are eager to know Conde's choice for energy and mines minister.
Observers are also watching to see if Conde follows through on a promise to include members of his chief rival Cellou Dalein Diallo's camp in a national unity government to ease ethnic tensions that resurfaced during the campaign.
(Reporting by Saliou Samb; editing by Richard Valdmanis/David Stamp)
((richard.valdmanis@thomsonreuters.com; Dakar newsroom +221 33 864 5076)) Keywords: GUINEA CABINET (For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://af.reuters.com/) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Conde won an election on Nov. 7 billed as the country's first free poll since independence from France in 1958, completing a transition from nearly two years of military leadership.
'Mohamed Said Fofana, formerly the director of economic research, is appointed prime minister,' according to the presidential decree.
A source close to Conde said the new premier was well connected internationally. 'It is not someone who is well known to the public, but he has good relationships abroad from his work in the commerce ministry,' said the source, who declined to be named.
Conde has already named Mohamed Diane, a member of Conde's RPG party, as cabinet director and Francois Louceny, one of his rival candidates in the first round of voting in June, as secretary general of the presidency and minister of state.
Guinea is the world's largest supplier of aluminium ore bauxite and players in the mining industry are eager to know Conde's choice for energy and mines minister.
Observers are also watching to see if Conde follows through on a promise to include members of his chief rival Cellou Dalein Diallo's camp in a national unity government to ease ethnic tensions that resurfaced during the campaign.
(Reporting by Saliou Samb; editing by Richard Valdmanis/David Stamp)
((richard.valdmanis@thomsonreuters.com; Dakar newsroom +221 33 864 5076)) Keywords: GUINEA CABINET (For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://af.reuters.com/) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.