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Faranak Amidi presents global stories from the Fifth Floor, home to the BBC’s 40 Language Services.

Faranak Amidi presents global stories from the Fifth Floor, home to the BBC’s 40 Language Services

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The Fifth Floor: What's behind Guinea's coup?

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Special forces commander Mamady Doumbouya

24/09/2021 GMT

What's behind Guinea's coup?

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, What's behind Guinea's coup?

The ageing and divisive president, and the young officer who led the coup against him

Guineans face a new reality after a coup in which President Alpha Condé was ousted by the man who had been his 'eyes and ears', Colonel Mamady Doumbouya.

The military coup earlier this month in the West African state of Guinea has been a huge story for BBC reporter Alhassan Sillah, based in the capital Conakry. He tells us about the main players - coup leader Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, and the man he ousted, President Alpha Condé.  

The swimming camels of Kutch 
The Kharai are a rare breed of camel found in the Indian state of Gujarat. They swim up to three kilometres in shallow seas to reach the mangroves where they graze. But as salt companies block tidal water, the mangroves are dying, and there's less grazing. BBC Gujarati's Prashant Gupta met the herdsmen and their swimming camels.

Cairo's belly dancing school 
Egypt is known for belly dancing, but recently this art has been dominated by belly dancers from Eastern Europe and Latin America. Reem Fattelbab of BBC Arabic has visited a belly dancing school in Cairo to find out why more Egyptian women don't follow this tradition. 

Ukraine's toxic mines 
BBC Ukrainian recently reported from the frontline in the Donbas region about the impact the conflict is having on the environment. During the Soviet era, Donbas was a mining hub, but now many old mines are flooding, leading to contamination of local water supplies. Reporter Zhanna Bezpiatchuk went down one of the mines to see for herself.

Capybaras and class war in Argentina 
The exclusive Nordelta gated community north of Buenos Aires were recently invaded by capybaras, the world's largest rodent. Gardens were tunneled, plants eaten, but with half of Argentinians living in poverty, many were siding with the animals, as BBC Mundo contributor Macarena Gagliardi reports.  

Image: Special forces commander Mamady Doumbouya in September 2021
Credit: Reuters/Saliou Samb

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