Israel and Guinea, once the most anti-Israel country in Africa, are moving toward rapprochement and have already exchanged military missions, the Paris-based weekly Jeune Afrique reported yesterday.
According to the publication, which is considered very reliable, an Israeli military mission visited Conakry, capital of the West African state, earlier this month and Guinea soldiers have gone to Israel for paratroop and commando training.
The weekly said the rapprochement was initiated by the late President Sekou Toure of Guinea who, in 1967, was the first African leader to break off diplomatic relations with Israel.
In March 1984, several weeks before his death, Toure played host to an Israeli delegation in Conakry, Jeune Afrique said. Subsequently, the Israeli delegation continued contacts with Guinea’s new Prime Minister, Diarra Traore, and Foreign Minister Facine Toure, according to the report.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
