CONAKRY — Guinean President Lansana Conte declared martial law in the west African country yesterday to curb a wave of violent protests lead by unions opposed to his 23-year rule.

“Given the destruction and the losses in terms of human life, I have decided to decree martial law in the whole of the national territory,” he said on state radio.

Martial law in Guinea forbids all public meetings, empowers the military to arrest anyone they believe threatens state security and imposes a strict curfew.

“Orders have been given to the heads of the armed forces to take all appropriate measures to defend the people of Guinea from the risk of civil war,” Conte said.

At least nine people were killed yesterday, after unions resumed a general strike to protest against Conte’s naming of a close ally to the post of consensus prime minister.

Union leaders said the appointment violated a power-sharing deal which ended a bloody 18-day general strike last month.

Yesterday’s strike action disrupted bauxite production from the world’s largest exporter.

Earlier, security forces blocked roads leading into the centre of Guinea’s capital yesterday as the country’s biggest unions resumed a strike and demanded the president step down.

This followed rioting on Saturday in which at least 11 people died, according to medical officials and witnesses. Opposition leaders put the figure at more than 30.

Groups of youths armed with machetes and sabres marched into suburban streets, shouting for change in protests that were broadcast by Guinea’s FM Liberty radio station.

The president of Guinea’s national assembly called in a statement for union and community leaders to return to negotiations with government officials.

Last month, a two-week national strike brought Guinea to an economic standstill and quickly spiralled into protests that triggered clashes with security forces which left at least 59 people dead. Union leaders called off that strike after Conte agreed to appoint a consensus prime minister. But street fighting broke out again on Saturday after Conte sidestepped a power-sharing agreement by naming a cabinet ally to take up the post.

Sgt Boubacar Hassan Diallo said yesterday even soldiers were being prevented from crossing a major bridge into the administrative centre of Conakry, the capital. On the same bridge last month, soldiers fired into a crowd of people trying to march on the city.

Government buildings and stores were closed in the city centre and suburbs and shots could be heard in the outlying suburb of Dixinn, as smoke rose over the area. A witness said there was smoke from burning tyres and gunshots.

Buildings in the suburbs appeared to have been looted at the weekend, including government offices and diplomats’ homes.

“The villa of the president of Guinea-Bissau was completely emptied. They broke everything and took everything,” said Ovid Kourouma, who saw the incident.

Conte, who seized power in a 1984 coup, agreed last month that he would appoint a prime minister who was not be a current member of his government.

On Friday, he named Eugene Camara, a cabinet member since 1997, to the post. Camara served most recently as minister for presidential affairs.

In calling for the strike to resume, union leaders said they would no longer settle for any resolution other than Conte’s exit.

“We don’t recognise this prime minister, and anyway, it is no longer a question of the prime minister,” said Ibrahima Fofana, the secretary-general of the Guinea Workers’ Union, one of two groups that led last month’s strike.

“We are asking for the departure, pure and simple, of Conte.”

Guinea’s 10-million people are poor and many live without the most basic public services, despite having half the world’s bauxite.

Opposition leaders have also called for Conte to step down, saying he had let corruption overrun Guinea. With Reuters