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Ex-Guinean President Conde flown abroad for medical care

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Former Guinean President Alpha Conde left the country for medical treatment in the United Arab Emirates after spending more than four months in the custody of the military junta that overthrew him, witnesses said Monday.

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Former Guinean President Alpha Conde left the country for medical treatment in the United Arab Emirates after spending more than four months in the custody of the military junta that overthrew him, witnesses said Monday.

The junta had announced earlier this month that the 83-year-old former president was not in good health and would be seeking treatment abroad. No details were given on his diagnosis, though witnesses at the airport in Conakry, the capital, confirmed that his plane was en route to Abu Dhabi.

Conde's ouster in September came less than a year after he ran and won a third term in office despite widespread protests. The ex-president had backed a constitutional referendum bending the term limit rules in order to do so.

In the aftermath of the coup, Guinea's new military rulers had insisted that Conde would not be allowed to leave the country and seek exile. Instead, they said they planned to try him in connection with unspecified charges linked to his time in power.

Boubacar Diallo, The Associated Press