Guinea's prime minister to stay on in post in new government

CONAKRY, Guinea – Guinea's president has chosen to keep Prime Minister Mohamed Said Fofana in his post, days after he turned in his government's resignation.

Saturday's move comes just less than a week after Guinea's parliament was seated for the first time since 2008 following a long awaited and highly-contested election late last year.

Observers note than Fofana is an ethnic Soussou, a group that will represent an important electoral group for President Alpha Conde in the 2015 presidential election.

Last year's legislative poll was watched closely by observers fearing a repeat of the 2010 presidential election, which laid bare ethnic tensions between the Peul and Malinke communities.

The election saw only scattered violence, but electoral officials took weeks to announce the results.