Dakar — Guinean junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara has vowed to fight any foreign intervention forces that would be deployed in the country.
Guinea opposition had requested external support following last week's massacre of an estimated 200 civilians by junta forces.
The appeal was preceded by a similar call by the Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade at the UN General Assembly nearly a fortnight ago. President Wade said that such an intervention would help forestall an imminent political upheaval in Guinea.
President Wade, 83, widely seen as the 'godfather' of the Guinean junta leader, made the appeal at the UN following a day-long visit he and the Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had paid Capt Camara, in a bid to facilitate dialogue between the junta and the Guinean civilian opposition politicians.
"The situation in Guinea is volatile as tension is rife between the junta regime and the civilian politicians, and I believe an intervention force is needed immediately to forestall the situation from degenerating into a chaos," President Wade, told his peers at the UN in New York.
But Capt Camara, in a head-strong reaction to both appeals at the weekend, told the press that he had seen no reason for foreign intervention.
Capt Camara argued that "there were no protagonists at the moment in the Guinean political landscape".
"I am in full control of the Guinean state," he said, acknowledging for the umpteenth time, however, that there was an army in the country that he did not have complete control over.
That is why, he went on, "I have agreed that an international and independent investigation must be conducted in Guinea in order to prove my innocence in the killing of civilians," and to ensure that those guilty are punished.
He said calm had returned to the entire country and could therefore not see the reason why any intervention forces could be sent to Guinea.
Countries within the Mano River Union, including Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire and of which Guinea is also a member, were most likely to have been the first to dispatch forces to Guinea.
Senegalese President came to the rescue of Capt Dadis following his military takeover.
The neighbours' intervention would likely have been followed by the conventional and standby forces of the Economic Community of West African States or ECOMOG, which had intervened in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Both the Ecowas and the UN are still following the developments in Guinea closely and would take cue from the Burkina Faso leader, Blaise Compaore, who has been named by his peers to broker a dialogue in Guinea. President Compaore begins his mandate there tomorrow.
Taken hostage
In an earlier interview with the international press, Capt Camara said he had been taken hostage by the army on the one hand and the civilians, who wanted him to contest the presidency billed for February 2010.
Explaining further, he said, if he decided to step down at this moment, his colleagues in the army would interpret that to mean guilt and as such another military officer would certainly seize power. Such a scenario, he reasoned, would perpetuate the political stalemate in Guinea.
On the other hand, he said if he decided to back out of the political scene, the civilians agitating for him to contest the presidency under the group dubbed "Dadis Must Stay", will translate his action as an outright betrayal and he would not like to be seen in that light.
Capt Dadis argued that it was in an attempt to counter-balance the situation, that he had decided that a government of national unity be formed to restore political dialogue.
But the Guinean opposition, united under the outfit Forces Vives, or "Active Forces", have vehemently rejected the offer, arguing that such a move was tantamount to opening a dialogue with "a criminal and rogue regime".
The opposition has vowed to maintain the pressure on the junta until it backs out of politics before elections could be held.
"Capt Dadis is bent on hoodwinking the local and international community with lies and false promises that were jeopardising the political process in the country. This will stop or else we will not relent in our struggle," the opposition cried during an interview with the foreign media on Thursday.
Meanwhile, pressure continues to mount on the junta from the international community, including threat of sanctions.
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First Im very disturb with some of the above comments Im reading here, its either these people are collaborators of Western Governments trying to ferment unrest in Guinea or just ignorance. I honestly dont believe that any Africans will be advocating the military intervention in Guinea.
With that said lets get down to the facts, why is the West all of the sudden so concern about Guinea? Why? They have not cared about her for all these years, why now? These are the questions people should be asking themselves first. Lasana Conteh ruled Guinea with an iron fist for about 25 years and in 2007 alone their were three riots that killed 700 Guineans! But Guess what? I dont remembered seeing any out cry from any Western Government like what Im seeing today for Captain Camara. And the reason is so simple, Lansana Conteh during his rule permitted these Western Governments like France to exploit Guinea, its was free for all under his reign so longer as his cabals were taken care off. Captain Camara is relutionary leader that is looking out for Guineas interest.
Another thing too has any body seen any live videos or pictures of these events especially these raping of women? Anybody? If not then all we have been doing is repeating the same propaganda lies and deceitfulness that has been broadcasted on RFI, CNN and BBC an other Western News Networks.
Ask yourselves this questions, if France and her Western Counterparts care so much about Democracy and Human Rights in Africa, why then did the French President Nicolas Sakosy personally went to congratulate Ali Bongo of Gabon after wining a dubious rigged election which was followed by one week of rioting that killed the same amount people in Guinea or even more? If Guineans and Africans cant answer this questions then Africa is doom for failure for the next 100 years. We Africans have to wake up and smell the coffee that we have been played by again by thee Western Governments, wake up Africans!!!
I am happy that some ECOWAS leaders are calling for an external force to counter the junta in Conakry. This is the right thing to do. A precedent was established in Sierra Leone in 1997when ECOMOG confronted the then AFRC junta. I withnessed the difference this had on the soilders. Without ECOMOG, Sierra Leone will be a failed state today. With all its short comings, ECOMOG is the best political solution ever by ECOWAS. Especially NIGERIA. Please dont let this great precedent get kicked over by a bunch of thugs. Ibrahim Jalloh aka BJ
Those of you are comparing Sierra Leone's situation to that of Guinea forget to realize the size and power of the Guinea army. Using force in anyway would not be a good idea at all. I believe diplomatic mean would be the best solution. Any force apply in Guinea would destablize the entire region. Any economic sanction would only hurt the already poor people. This is a delicate situation and requires patience and diplomacy.
Mr jalloh failed to realize the danger of sending an intervention force in Guinea which is relatively peacefull with no civil war. The CNDD is just another military government like any other west Africa. The best solution to the Guinean crisis is through dialogue. It will be suicidal for ECOMOG or Nigeria to intervene in the MANO river union again. Mr Jalloh the situation in the MANO river is very delicate with both Liberia and Sierra Leone emerging from a very long and chronique civil wars.
Foreign military intervention in Guinea is probably the most dangerous step in this instance...a military government against an international conventional force will simply lead to more innocent people being killed in the crossfire. Diplomacy and political pressure from international community is probably the only intervention to subdue Dadi's dictatorial rule in Guinea, which he seems very conscious of.
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