Conté, Lansana

Conté, Lansana (cōNtā') [key], 1934–, Guinean political leader and military officer. Conté enlisted in the French army in 1955 and served in Algeria. Returning to Guinea in 1958 after his homeland's independence, he rose through the ranks to become army chief of staff (1975) and lieutenant colonel (1982). In 1984 he led a coup following President Sékou Touré's death and became president. He has retained power since, surviving three attempted coups and winning reelection from 1993 on in multiparty balloting that has been marred by irregularities. Conté was made a general in 1990.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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