Alpha Ibrahima Keira is a Guinean politician who held key national security positions under the regimes of Lansana Conté and Alpha Condé. From an influential Faranah family, he began a career in the gendarmerie before being successively appointed Minister of Public Service, Transportation and then Secretary General of the Presidency under Conté.
Unfortunate candidate in the 2010 presidential election, he then joined Alpha Condé and became in 2018 the Minister of Security and Civil Protection, a strategic post that makes him the "armed arm" of the regime in the face of political tensions. A controversial character, he crystallizes criticisms about the continuity of the family dynasties in power in Guinea.
Introduction
Alpha Ibrahima Keira is one of the most influential and controversial political figures in contemporary Guinea. A former minister under the regimes of Lansana Conté and Alpha Condé, he held key positions related to national security. His atypical career and decisive role in the country's major security issues make him an indispensable figure on the Guinean political scene.
Education
Originally from the region of Faranah, in the sub-prefecture of Sandenya, Alpha Ibrahima Keira came from an influential Djallonké family. He completed his primary and secondary education in his native region before joining the National School of Gendarmerie in Kindia. This is where he forged his first ties with the Guinean security forces.
Professionnal career
After graduating, Alpha Ibrahima Keira began a brilliant career in the national gendarmerie. Noted for his skills, he quickly climbed the ladder and came closer to the circles of power under Lansana Conté.
Political career
It was in 1996 that Alpha Ibrahima Keira truly entered politics by being appointed Minister of Public Service in the government of Lansana Conté. He then held the strategic position of Minister of Transport from 2004 to 2008, before being promoted Secretary-General of the Presidency until 2009.
2010 Presidential Candidate
After the death of Lansana Conté, Alpha Ibrahima Keira competed in the 2010 presidential election under the banner of the Republican Party. Despite a modest score of 0.25% of the vote, he joined the Alliance Arc-en-Ciel led by Alpha Condé in the second round.
Minister
His loyalty was rewarded in 2018 when Alpha Condé appointed him Minister of Security and Civil Protection. He held a post until November 2019, becoming the regime's "armed arm" in a tense socio-political context.
Private life
Alpha Ibrahima Keira came from a well-known Djallonk family in the Faranah region. His father, Karim Keira, was an important member of the Democratic Party of Guinea (PDG) under Sékou Touré before being executed in 1985 after the coup attempt by Diarra Traoré.
One of his brothers, Fodéba Isto Keira, also had a political career by being appointed Minister of Youth during the 2009-2010 Military Transition. The Keira family has other influential personalities in various sectors in Guinea.
Conclusion
The trajectory of Alpha Ibrahima Keira illustrates the permanence of certain family dynasties at the top of the Guinean state since independence. Close to the first circles of power under Conté and then Condé, he embodied the figure of the man strongly in charge of national security. A double-edged role that makes him an unavoidable but also highly criticized actor on the Guinean political scene. His political future is now dependent on future developments in a changing country.
