30 September 2009
It is becoming clearer by the day that militarism and democracy can't mix. And those who think the military can provide democratic or even an adaptable civil leadership are living in a fool's paradise as Guinea's junta leader, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, has discovered Monday this week when violence and bloodbath swept across the Guinean nation.
Now Guinea's crisis-veteran western neighbor Liberia, which heads the Mano River Union, is feeling the heat wave of that violence, and it is calling for urgent international action. The Analyst Staff Writer, reports.
The government of Liberia is calling for urgent international action to put an immediate halt to the political violence and bloodbath that rocked the foundation of Conakry, the capital of in neighboring Guinea, since the death of longtime leader, Lasanna Conteh.
Call for International Action
The government, which made the call in the wake of the bloodbath that swept Conakry, Monday this week, said the action was necessary lest the violence engulfs the entire nation and jeopardizes early return to civil rule.
"The government of the Republic of Liberia has expressed grave concern at the events unfolding in neighboring Republic of Guinea, and has learned with profound regrets of the deaths of over 90 persons during a demonstration in Conakry on Monday, September 28, 2009," said a government statement issued yesterday by the Foreign Ministry.
The statement said the government firmly believed that resort to the use of force and violence could only lead to unnecessary loss of life and complicate the democratic process being pursued by the International Contact Group on Guinea (ICG-G) and member states of the Mano River Union (MRU).
"The Liberian government therefore calls on the brotherly people of Guinea and the leadership of the CNDD to exercise utmost restraint and return to the path of peaceful dialogue to find a lasting solution to the crisis," the statement quoted a government spokesman as pleading.
Meanwhile, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has called on both the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the ICG-G to consider convening meetings to discuss these developments and to avert further deterioration in the situation.
President serves as the current chairman of the Mano River Union (MRU) and a member of ICG-G.
It may be recalled that the MRU chairman has been engaged in the search for a durable resolution of the Guinean crisis and had made several visits to that country in the interest of peace, the security of Guinean people, the Mano River Union, and beyond. The Liberian leader has therefore renewed her appeal to the Guinean authorities to fully adhere to the previous agreement made with ICG-G regarding the upcoming transitional plan for the holding of elections and restoration of democratic rule in that sisterly country.
Public Demonstration, Bloodbath
Dozens of people were shot dead in Conakry on Monday when Guinea's security forces moved in against opposition demonstrators at a city stadium, an AFP report quoted witnesses and a medical source as saying yesterday. "It's butchery! There are dozens of dead," said a doctor at Conakry's largest hospital where bodies were arriving after security forces crushed a protest against junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara. The doctor asked not to be named.
An AFP journalist saw at least 10 bodies with bullet wounds lying inside the stadium, after presidential guard troops violently evacuated several thousand people gathered to demonstrate in defiance of a ban. Local journalists said they counted 27 corpses. Two former prime ministers now in the opposition, Cellou Dalein Diallo and Sidya Toure, were injured when the demonstration was violently repressed, then taken to a military camp, according to Diallo's wife.
"They were arrested and are at the Alpha Yaya Diallo Camp," confirmed a government official who also asked not to be named.
Halimatou Diallo, reportedly reached by telephone, said the two were "initially evacuated to the Ambroise Pare Clinic".
But "soldiers came to get them. They took them from the clinic and led them to the Alpha Yaya Diallo Camp", which is the headquarters of the junta in power since last December, Mrs. Diallo added, saying that her house had been "ransacked".
The protestors had gathered to oppose any bid by the junta leader, who took power in December 2008, to run for president in elections due next January. The junta leader is also under strong international pressure to step down. Demonstrators had begun to gather outside Conakry 's largest stadium, which was guarded by large numbers of police. Protestors carried placards reading, "No to Dadis" and "Down with the army in power".
The junta had banned the demonstration, but several political parties, trade unions and civic organizations vowed that the event would go ahead. In the middle of the morning, riot police charged the protestors. Three badly injured people were laid out in front of a police post near the stadium, an AFP journalist said. One had his leg broken in two places. At least eight other people were wounded and about 30 youths were arrested and driven away in police trucks.
Witnesses said that opposition leaders who tried to reach the stadium were halted by police close to Conakry's university, where clashes erupted by the end of the morning between riot police and several thousand demonstrators. Police reinforcements were rushed to the area, where the protestors were armed with stones and the police with tear gas.
In Conakry's working-class Belle-Vue District, demonstrators set a police station and a police car ablaze, according to residents. Speaking on national television Sunday, Interior Minister Frederic Kolie declared that "all demonstrations on national territory are prohibited until the national holiday on October 2."
News of the ban came a day after Capt. Camara - in his first visit outside the capital since he took power in a coup last December - went to Guinea's second city and opposition stronghold, Labe.
Opposition sources had expected Capt. Camara to use his weekend journey to declare his intention to be a candidate in the January 2010 elections, but he instead gave a speech on national unity while also criticizing his opponents. Camara installed himself at the helm of the francophone West African nation after leading a bloodless coup within hours of the death of Guinea's strongman leader Lansana Conte, who had been in power since 1984.
Under pressure by the international community for step down and organize civilian election, he promised a smooth transitional process that involved the opposition and early elections.
But of late opposition figures and the general population have grown suspicious that the junta leader may consider transforming himself into a civilian leader in the footstep of his predecessor, General Lasannah Conte, who himself came to power under the barrel of the gun.
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Brother,I'm also joining you to say thanks, to President Ellen,for the role she is taking now.It's better to enact a measure before things goes very bad. African's in other countries should organize a peaceful protest. We've to do this to protest the idea of Military rule.
What's really wrong with Africa? why can we focus on development,education and better lives for all.This Time around,we as African's opposed to Militarism.We're tired of hearing or talking about war.We need and development in Africa.
whatever his name,Junta Camara.We the people of Africa don't need you.Pls.Leave Guniea alone.Guinea,not belong to you.Africa,will never again accept Military to the office of the president. Shame on you.your coup is not welcome.Leave now Killers..
until we stop giving those that killed and destroyed our people and infrastructure the authority to rule us, these killers will always feel they have the power to do what ever they want.
Oh Mama Africa, how long, how long will you give those ruthless individuals the power to treat your children inhumanly. We do not need military rulers in Africa anymore and those days are far gone.
Bravo to our first Female President who took the step to intervene and condemn the military action.
There has to be an intervention. These people are bandits that roam the streets of Conakry and have taken a whole country hostage. Camara has no control over these murderers. He is their puppet. We have seen this before and we know where this road leads if the world do not intervene. This is a situation that the UN was created for.
Ellen, thanks for standing up for the right thing. This is what we anticipate from our leaders…never to shy away from doing the right thing. We want to see demonstration in other African capitals in solidarity with the people of Guinea. Africa can not continue down this path. We are in the 21st century. Our neighbors on other continents are developing in science and technology, building institutions and training their populations to improve their living standard. Africans continue to slide into barbaric norms. For us, a human life doesn’t cost much. After all, living in Africa is tantamount to breathing in a bigger coffin.