Alpha Condé
A longtime opposition figure who became Guinea's first democratically elected president, only to see his legacy unravel after a controversial third term.
Born 1938 (age 88)·President of Guinea from 2010 to 2021·Birthday: March 4·The Silent Generation
Biography
Alpha Condé's path to power was a marathon of resistance. For decades, from exile in France and from within Guinea, he opposed the authoritarian regimes of Sékou Touré and Lansana Conté, facing imprisonment and repeated electoral defeats. His persistence paid off in 2010 when, in the country's first genuine democratic election, he was voted president. Initial hopes were high; he spoke of economic reform and cracking down on corruption. His government oversaw significant investments in Guinea's immense bauxite and iron ore resources. However, his tenure grew increasingly contentious. Critics accused him of authoritarian tendencies, cracking down on protests and imprisoning opponents. The pivotal moment came when he pushed through a new constitution allowing him to run for a third term in 2020, a move that sparked massive protests and violent crackdowns. He won that election but was ousted in a military coup just months into the new term, leaving a complex legacy of democratic promise and personal overreach.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Alpha was born in 1938, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alpha Was Born
The biggest hits of 1938
#1 Movie
You Can't Take It with You
Best Picture
You Can't Take It with You
Alpha's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1938Born
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1943Started school
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1951Became a teenager
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Could drive
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1956Could vote
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Turned 21
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1968Turned 30
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 40
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 50
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 60
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 70
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 80
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 88 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first democratically elected president of Guinea in 2010, ending decades of military and authoritarian rule.
- Founded and led the Rally of the Guinean People (RPG), a major opposition party that became the ruling party.
- Oversaw significant foreign investment and development in Guinea's mining sector during his presidency.
- Served as the Chairperson of the African Union from 2017 to 2018.
Did You Know?
He was a professor of political science at the Sorbonne University in Paris during his years in exile.
Condé was sentenced to death in absentia by the regime of Sékou Touré in 1970.
He was imprisoned for over two years by the government of Lansana Conté following the 1998 presidential election.
His 2020 bid for a third term was preceded by a constitutional referendum that reset presidential term limits, a move widely criticized internationally.
“The struggle for this land is written in my bones; its freedom is my breath.”
