Guinean police arrest a protester on September 28, 2009 in front of the biggest stadium in the capital Conakry during a protest banned by Guinea's ruling junta. Opposition political parties, labor unions and civil society groups reacted by swiftly agreeing to proceed with the rally to protest against junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara Camara running in a presidential election. The protest was dispersed with tear gas. Speaking on national television on September 27, Interior Minister Frederic Kolie declared that 'all demonstrations on national territory are prohibited until the national holiday on October 2.'
The country's military ruler said he was sorry for the violence, but a human rights group alleged junta soldiers killed three more people outside the capital Conakry Tuesday and kidnapped victims of the crackdown from hospitals.
"Today we recorded three more deaths from army shootings, two in Wanidara and one in Cosa," both neighbourhoods outside Conakry, said Thierno Maadjou Sow, an official with the Guinean Organisation for the Defence of Human Rights.
"The young people went outside and the soldiers shot at them."
Sow also alleged that soldiers removed wounded people from hospitals and took them to unknown locations.
"Soldiers went to take away the injured being treated at the Donka hospital (in the capital) to bring them to an unknown destination as well as women who had been raped and were being treated at the local health centre in Ratoma (outside the capital)," he said.
The United Nations, African Union and European Union all expressed alarm over the killings when tens of thousands of people Monday attended a stadium rally against junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara, who took power in December last year. Key facts about Guinea
Camara on Tuesday made his first appearance in public since the crackdown, visiting two hospitals in Conakry to meet with the wounded, witnesses said.
"It's unfortunate, it's dramatic," Camara told French radio station RFI. "Very frankly speaking, I'm very sorry, very sorry."
The opposition has accused junta forces of collecting bodies in a bid to hide "the scale of the massacre" which the Guinea rights group said left at least 157 dead and 1,253 wounded. .
Sydia Toure, one of two former prime ministers injured at the protest, told AFP that the shootings were "a deliberate attempt" to eliminate the opposition.
Mamadi Kaba, head of the Guinean branch of the African Encounter for the Defence of Human Rights (RADDHO), said the rapes of women began in the Conakry stadium.
"The military raped women" at the stadium and later at army barracks, police posts and other parts of Conakry, Kaba said, adding that there were reports of new rape attacks by soldiers on Tuesday. Opposition activist Mouctar Diallo said he saw soldiers putting their rifles into the vaginas of naked women. "I saw this myself," he told RFI. "They were raping women publicly," Diallo added. "Soldiers were shooting everywhere and I saw people fall."
Red Cross source said military commanders ordered all bodies at the stadium taken to the Alpha Yaya Diallo military camp, the junta headquarters, rather than to morgues.
A source at Conakry's Ignace Deen hospital told AFP an army truck took away "dozens of bodies" after the violent clampdown on the banned demonstration.
Witnesses and rights group said the military was massively deployed throughout the capital on Tuesday and more violent actions by soldiers were reported. "The bad behaviour continues in the suburbs, carried out by the military. Even if there's nobody on the street, they shoot in the air, loot shops and beat people up," Kaba said.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon slammed the "excessive use of force" and said he was "shocked by the loss of life, the high number of people injured and the destruction of property."
The African Union said it "strongly condemns the indiscriminate firing on unarmed civilians, which left dozens dead and many others injured, while serious other violations of human rights were committed."
In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana deplored the "high number of victims" and called for the immediate release of arrested opposition leaders. EU reaction.
Former colonial ruler France condemned "the violent repression," suspended military cooperation with Guinea and urged caution on expatriates, while a senior US official in Washington said: "We're deeply concerned about the general breakdown in security in Conakry." France's reaction.
The protesters had gathered in the stadium to oppose any bid by the junta leader to run for president in an election due in January. Camara also faces strong international pressure to step down.
Camara took over the west African nation after leading a bloodless coup within hours of the death of Guinea's strongman leader Lansana Conte, who had ruled the west African country since 1984.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
DTN News: Guinea TODAY October 1, 2009 ~ Fresh Violence In Guinea After Stadium Bloodbath
DTN News: Guinea TODAY October 1, 2009 ~ Fresh Violence In Guinea After Stadium Bloodbath
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) CONAKRY, Guinea - October 1, 2009: Guinea troops carried out new attacks Tuesday after they killed at least 157 people, wounded more than 1,000, and raped women in a crackdown on an opposition rally the previous day, rights activists said. Guinean police arrest a protester on September 28, 2009 in front of the biggest stadium in the capital Conakry during a protest banned by Guinea's ruling junta. Opposition political parties, labor unions and civil society groups reacted by swiftly agreeing to proceed with the rally to protest against junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara Camara running in a presidential election. The protest was dispersed with tear gas. Speaking on national television on September 27, Interior Minister Frederic Kolie declared that 'all demonstrations on national territory are prohibited until the national holiday on October 2.'
The country's military ruler said he was sorry for the violence, but a human rights group alleged junta soldiers killed three more people outside the capital Conakry Tuesday and kidnapped victims of the crackdown from hospitals.
"Today we recorded three more deaths from army shootings, two in Wanidara and one in Cosa," both neighbourhoods outside Conakry, said Thierno Maadjou Sow, an official with the Guinean Organisation for the Defence of Human Rights.
"The young people went outside and the soldiers shot at them."
Sow also alleged that soldiers removed wounded people from hospitals and took them to unknown locations.
"Soldiers went to take away the injured being treated at the Donka hospital (in the capital) to bring them to an unknown destination as well as women who had been raped and were being treated at the local health centre in Ratoma (outside the capital)," he said.
The United Nations, African Union and European Union all expressed alarm over the killings when tens of thousands of people Monday attended a stadium rally against junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara, who took power in December last year. Key facts about Guinea
Camara on Tuesday made his first appearance in public since the crackdown, visiting two hospitals in Conakry to meet with the wounded, witnesses said.
"It's unfortunate, it's dramatic," Camara told French radio station RFI. "Very frankly speaking, I'm very sorry, very sorry."
The opposition has accused junta forces of collecting bodies in a bid to hide "the scale of the massacre" which the Guinea rights group said left at least 157 dead and 1,253 wounded. .
Sydia Toure, one of two former prime ministers injured at the protest, told AFP that the shootings were "a deliberate attempt" to eliminate the opposition.
Mamadi Kaba, head of the Guinean branch of the African Encounter for the Defence of Human Rights (RADDHO), said the rapes of women began in the Conakry stadium.
"The military raped women" at the stadium and later at army barracks, police posts and other parts of Conakry, Kaba said, adding that there were reports of new rape attacks by soldiers on Tuesday. Opposition activist Mouctar Diallo said he saw soldiers putting their rifles into the vaginas of naked women. "I saw this myself," he told RFI. "They were raping women publicly," Diallo added. "Soldiers were shooting everywhere and I saw people fall."
Red Cross source said military commanders ordered all bodies at the stadium taken to the Alpha Yaya Diallo military camp, the junta headquarters, rather than to morgues.
A source at Conakry's Ignace Deen hospital told AFP an army truck took away "dozens of bodies" after the violent clampdown on the banned demonstration.
Witnesses and rights group said the military was massively deployed throughout the capital on Tuesday and more violent actions by soldiers were reported. "The bad behaviour continues in the suburbs, carried out by the military. Even if there's nobody on the street, they shoot in the air, loot shops and beat people up," Kaba said.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon slammed the "excessive use of force" and said he was "shocked by the loss of life, the high number of people injured and the destruction of property."
The African Union said it "strongly condemns the indiscriminate firing on unarmed civilians, which left dozens dead and many others injured, while serious other violations of human rights were committed."
In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana deplored the "high number of victims" and called for the immediate release of arrested opposition leaders. EU reaction.
Former colonial ruler France condemned "the violent repression," suspended military cooperation with Guinea and urged caution on expatriates, while a senior US official in Washington said: "We're deeply concerned about the general breakdown in security in Conakry." France's reaction.
The protesters had gathered in the stadium to oppose any bid by the junta leader to run for president in an election due in January. Camara also faces strong international pressure to step down.
Camara took over the west African nation after leading a bloodless coup within hours of the death of Guinea's strongman leader Lansana Conte, who had ruled the west African country since 1984.
Guinean police arrest a protester on September 28, 2009 in front of the biggest stadium in the capital Conakry during a protest banned by Guinea's ruling junta. Opposition political parties, labor unions and civil society groups reacted by swiftly agreeing to proceed with the rally to protest against junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara Camara running in a presidential election. The protest was dispersed with tear gas. Speaking on national television on September 27, Interior Minister Frederic Kolie declared that 'all demonstrations on national territory are prohibited until the national holiday on October 2.'
The country's military ruler said he was sorry for the violence, but a human rights group alleged junta soldiers killed three more people outside the capital Conakry Tuesday and kidnapped victims of the crackdown from hospitals.
"Today we recorded three more deaths from army shootings, two in Wanidara and one in Cosa," both neighbourhoods outside Conakry, said Thierno Maadjou Sow, an official with the Guinean Organisation for the Defence of Human Rights.
"The young people went outside and the soldiers shot at them."
Sow also alleged that soldiers removed wounded people from hospitals and took them to unknown locations.
"Soldiers went to take away the injured being treated at the Donka hospital (in the capital) to bring them to an unknown destination as well as women who had been raped and were being treated at the local health centre in Ratoma (outside the capital)," he said.
The United Nations, African Union and European Union all expressed alarm over the killings when tens of thousands of people Monday attended a stadium rally against junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara, who took power in December last year. Key facts about Guinea
Camara on Tuesday made his first appearance in public since the crackdown, visiting two hospitals in Conakry to meet with the wounded, witnesses said.
"It's unfortunate, it's dramatic," Camara told French radio station RFI. "Very frankly speaking, I'm very sorry, very sorry."
The opposition has accused junta forces of collecting bodies in a bid to hide "the scale of the massacre" which the Guinea rights group said left at least 157 dead and 1,253 wounded. .
Sydia Toure, one of two former prime ministers injured at the protest, told AFP that the shootings were "a deliberate attempt" to eliminate the opposition.
Mamadi Kaba, head of the Guinean branch of the African Encounter for the Defence of Human Rights (RADDHO), said the rapes of women began in the Conakry stadium.
"The military raped women" at the stadium and later at army barracks, police posts and other parts of Conakry, Kaba said, adding that there were reports of new rape attacks by soldiers on Tuesday. Opposition activist Mouctar Diallo said he saw soldiers putting their rifles into the vaginas of naked women. "I saw this myself," he told RFI. "They were raping women publicly," Diallo added. "Soldiers were shooting everywhere and I saw people fall."
Red Cross source said military commanders ordered all bodies at the stadium taken to the Alpha Yaya Diallo military camp, the junta headquarters, rather than to morgues.
A source at Conakry's Ignace Deen hospital told AFP an army truck took away "dozens of bodies" after the violent clampdown on the banned demonstration.
Witnesses and rights group said the military was massively deployed throughout the capital on Tuesday and more violent actions by soldiers were reported. "The bad behaviour continues in the suburbs, carried out by the military. Even if there's nobody on the street, they shoot in the air, loot shops and beat people up," Kaba said.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon slammed the "excessive use of force" and said he was "shocked by the loss of life, the high number of people injured and the destruction of property."
The African Union said it "strongly condemns the indiscriminate firing on unarmed civilians, which left dozens dead and many others injured, while serious other violations of human rights were committed."
In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana deplored the "high number of victims" and called for the immediate release of arrested opposition leaders. EU reaction.
Former colonial ruler France condemned "the violent repression," suspended military cooperation with Guinea and urged caution on expatriates, while a senior US official in Washington said: "We're deeply concerned about the general breakdown in security in Conakry." France's reaction.
The protesters had gathered in the stadium to oppose any bid by the junta leader to run for president in an election due in January. Camara also faces strong international pressure to step down.
Camara took over the west African nation after leading a bloodless coup within hours of the death of Guinea's strongman leader Lansana Conte, who had ruled the west African country since 1984.
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