Guinean officials say country’s No. 2 leader being evacuated to Senegal for medical treatment

Guinea’s No. 2 leader being medically evacuated

CONAKRY, Guinea — Guinean officials say the country’s No. 2 leader is being evacuated to Senegal for medical treatment.

The announcement is likely to heighten fears of a power vacuum in the West African country, where the president already was evacuated to Morocco following an assassination attempt last month.

The officials said Friday that Gen. Sekouba Konate is suffering from cirrhosis of the liver and is being taken to neighboring Senegal for treatment. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

Konate has sought to reassure Guineans that their president is recovering from the assassination attempt despite the fact he has not been seen in public since the shooting.