Nigeria, Sept. 6 -- Mutinous soldiers who deposed Guinean President Alpha Conde on Sunday after hours of heavy gunfire around the presidential palace said they did so because of the rampant corruption, disregard for human rights and economic mismanagement under the ousted president.

Mamadi Doumbouya, the 41-year-old colonel who appears to be the leader of the military takeover, said in a statement after a meeting Monday that the army had little choice but to "give the people their freedom."

Quoting late Ghanaian ex-president John Rawlings who led a coup twice in Ghana, Mr Doumbouya said, "if the people are crushed by their elites, it is up to the army to give the people their freedom."

"The duty of a soldier is to save the country. We ...