(VIDEO) Full Coverage of Attack on Diallo Motorcade and Home, Fifty Injured – In Conde’s Guinea, Always Carry a Video Camera

The following video provides full coverage of what happened in Guinea on Wednesday, June 19, 2013, when police attacked the motorcade of opposition party leader, Cellou Dalein Diallo, as he was on his way home from an appointment at the courthouse in Dixinn.  It also shows the attack on Diallo’s house by police and RPG thugs.  This is an important video in that it provides proof that the police and RPG thugs were the aggressors, that their attacks were premeditated, and that an assassination of Cellou Diallo may have been in the cards.

 

In its entirety, this video provides a compelling picture of how those who are charged with protecting the people of Guinea are intent on harassing and harming them.

 

Because this video is an hour long, here is a guide for particular points in the video you may want to check out.

 

-The video opens with a short montage of video clips highlighting unnerving scenes of the police attacks on Diallo’s motorcade and injuries of opposition supporters.  

 

-After this introduction, for the next thirteen minutes or so, you see the departure of Diallo’s motorcade for his court appointment in Dixinn, the spirited crowd which accompanies him, and his arrival at the court where some of his supporters attempt to enter with him, but are turned away by police. There’s some pushing and shoving, but no attack, no blood and the confrontation ends quickly.  Diallo leaves the court and  the motorcade heads back to his home with supporters following in a procession.  At minute 15:27 a huge truck races into the middle of the crowd from the right side of the road. It appears that ahead of the big truck, a couple of other police pick-ups have abruptly pulled into the procession at the same time.  As this is happening, a small group of police officers are lying in wait on the left side of the road and then start hurling stones and tear gas canisters at the procession– some opposition supporters are badly injured.  The attack by the police was completely unprovoked.

 

-After this attack, the opposition supporters catch their breath but it is not long before the motorcade and procession of supporters come under attack again. At the 17:32 minute mark, all hell breaks loose. The motorcade is about to pass Donka school, when tear gas rains down.  A couple of police trucks, moving at high speed, careen down the left side of the screen towards protesters.  At the last second, the trucks pull to the curb and like a “jump out” squad, they descend from the truck and chase protesters in every direction.  More tear gas is set off and people are panicked, running frantically to get away from the police.  You will see two women running in the middle of the street, trying desperately to escape the scene. One woman dressed in yellow and orange, does not get far and is apprehended by the police on the right of the screen.  Someone needs to make a poster of this moment — the cop holding the woman’s arms behind her back with the words:  “This is what democracy looks like in Alpha Conde’s Guinea.”  God only knows what happened to the other woman dressed in blue and white who was running in the middle of the street trying desperately to make it to an opposition vehicle for help.  As the motorcade leaves the Donka School area the tear gas is so thick and dark, it looks like volcano ash.  At this point, the police have turned on the head lamps of their vehicles.

 

-At the 19:20 minute mark, Cellou Diallo gets out of his car after police vehicles have closed in on his car and pushed back and forth on his bumper.  There is concern that the police will kill him on the spot.  He tells the police to stop the attack, that it is not a demonstration, but only people returning from the court.  The police respond by hurling tear gas causing Diallo and others to duck as the police often use tear gas canisters to hit people in the head.  And just in case their intent wasn’t clear, the police shoot their guns into the air.  By this time, many of those in the motorcade have abandoned their cars and are walking ensemble to Diallo’s home.  

 

-For the next two hours, police and RPG thugs already stationed around Diallo’s house hurl stones and tear gas into his yard and home. The number of injured and those overcome by tear gas mounts.  At the 23:54 minute mark, a man is bleeding profusely seeking refuge inside Diallo’s home with a head injury –  a rock or tear gas canister is the apparent cause.  A few ambulances arrive to take the most seriously injured people to the hospital, but not all make it out because the police closed all exits from Diallo’s home.  Many more injured people arrive at Diallo’s house.  At the 29:24 minute mark, you will see a young man lying on the floor with two large gashes in the right side of his forehead — a police officer STABBED HIM IN THE HEAD WITH A KNIFE.

 

-At the 26:57 minute mark the gendarmerie, who Cellou Diallo called earlier for help, is sitting on the patio waiting from him.  A woman seizes a golden opportunity to give them hell to the gendarmes for what happened (presumably, the gendarmerie was not involved in the attack, just the police) and she says, “Cellou Diallo is a citizen.  You can’t kill a citizen like that!” You can see the gendarmes are uncomfortable with her lecture and one tries to get her to stop, but she continues the grilling.

 

-Several times during the video, Diallo provides accounts of the attacks.  But, the best clip of Diallo describing what happened begins at the 42:00 minute mark.  The audio is clear and Diallo’s description is quite detailed.  The scene is at Diallo’s home, PM Fofana has just finished speaking and Ambassadors Laskaris of the US and Cochery of France, EU representative Van Damme and the Gov. of Conakry, Resco Camara are in attendance.  Diallo ends his remarks by saying his party has decided to withdraw from dialogue talks.

 

-The video ends with a walk-through of the damage of the site by government officials and foreign dignitaries.

Opposition Leader Diallo: “They Said They Would Reduce My House to Dust”

Cellou Dalein Diallo Remarks at Saturday, July 22, 2013 Meeting

of the UFDG:  “We are not going to sit down and hold discussions

with criminals (Conde et al., ed. note)

(Article translated into English via Google with editing by Guinea Oye)

At Saturday’s regular meeting of his UFDG party, Diallo said he was determined to continue the fight started for the

advent of a society of justice, peace and democracy in Guinea.  He also praised those who fought bravely to prevent

the police and young thugs who promised to reduce his house to dust, he said. “You saved my life,” he added.

Following, Diallo says his supporters have shown that they are upright and ready to defend their leader because,

he says, since these incidents, young volunteers sleep at his door, all night, all day. “They have not been paid.

They expose themselves to protect the president of the UFDG.”

“What is more shocking is the distortion of the facts. People came out to support me.  Along the way to the

courthouse, there were no incidents. We arrived at court and, after meeting with the prosecutor, we headed

back home. Along the way, the police came to disperse the activists with tear gas, they attacked us with hatred

and violence.”   In that moment, he said he descended from his car to ask the police to stop the violence against

citizens who had gone to attend a public hearing in court because no law forbids it. “The police started throwing tear

gas in front of me. Against this background, we arrived at the house. Afterwards, young thugs and police were

deployed to the sea to attack my home. They hurt a lot of young people. They said they would reduce my house

to dust and the youth resisted.” For Diallo, their struggle with against RPG militants is only beginning with Alpha

Conde. In his eyes, no policeman dares to attack his home without the tacit support of Alpha Condé. “For Alpha

Condé, my activists are not citizens of Guinea. While several of our members have been killed, Alpha Conde has

not lifted a finger to move them. Had he assumed his responsibilities, we would not have fifty supporters dead.

For Diallo, the solution is to get up to say” no.”

“What does Alpha Condé believe? He must know that Guinea belongs to all of us. There will be sacrifices, but the

truth will prevail. The truth is on our side. We are all Guineans and Alpha Condé should understand we will not

accept this. Remain upright.  We demand respect for our dignity. “

“You must understand that, if we do not fight, we have nothing with Alpha Condé. They are criminals  and we

have the right to live in Guinea.  If we continue the fight, God will soon… solve our problem. We need to join hands.

We have national and international solidarity. We have decided to suspend our participation in the dialogue. We wil

not sit down with criminals to discuss. All victims of violence should be compensated. “

Opposition Communique Following the Bloody Attack on Politicians and Supporters at Home of Cellou Dalein Diallo

Created Saturday, June 22, 2013 10:39 p.m.

Opposition Communique Following the Bloody Attack on Politicians and Supporters at Home of Cellou Dalein Diallo

While the ADP, the Collective, the CDR and the FDP in respect of commitments to maintaining a climate of peace continue to work to consolidate the achievements of the Inter- Guinea during the security forces still trodden ground the Government’s commitment to end the harassment and differential treatment experienced by opposition leaders.Indeed, Elhadj Cellou Dalein Diallo, President of the UFDG in its commitment to the institutions of the Republic replied to the notice that was sent by the judicial authorities, following a complaint by a senior official of the State.

In solidarity, leaders, activists and opposition supporters accompanied him in order and discipline at the public hearing of the Court of First Instance of Conakry where 2 Elhadj Cellou Dalein Diallo has asserted his rights. On the way back, the police have attacked the peaceful demonstration by spraying tear gas and chasing him to the president of the UFDG home.

Hooligans landed by chartered vehicles for this purpose and supported by the police then surrounded his home by shooting live bullets and by projecting a shower of tear gas and stones.

This seriously undermines the inalienable right of every citizen to have an inviolable home and persecution suffered by political leaders and activists at home Elhadj Cellou Dalein Diallo recorded a record 50 wounded, including two by gunfire in a still critical condition.

ADP, the Collective, CDR and FDP deplore and strongly condemn these acts of violence and express their deep sympathy and full solidarity with the El Hadj Diallo, his family, UFDG and all the victims of these acts of provocation and barbarism of another age.

As a result, the Republican opposition decided to suspend its participation in the inter-Guinean dialogue until normal conditions are ensured security for political leaders and all kinds of obstacles to the free exercise of their activities are effectively removed. It calls upon the continuation of sponsors and perpetrators of violence in order to be put an end to the impunity that has characterized the treatment of abuses by security forces in recent years become recurring term.

ADP, the Collective, CDR and FDP thank the Ambassadors of USA and France as well as the Representative of the European Union and the wider international community for their total support during these sad events .

The Republican opposition calls on all its members and supporters to be vigilant and remain mobilized to preserve the gains made through the long struggle of the people of Guinea for the rise in our country, an era of genuine democracy and respect for human rights.

Conakry, June 21, 2013.

---

The Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP)
The Collective of Political Parties for the Completion of the Transition
Club The Republicans (CDR)
The Union Front for Democracy and Progress (PDF)

Guinea: Journalist Hospitalized After Assault by Police Officers

Conde is running out of people to order his security forces to assault — politicians, journalists, opposition youth, and men, women and children who live in predominantly Peul neighborhoods.  Still no public condemnation of the attack on Cellou Daillo’s home by international community members, US ambassador Alex Laskaris, French Ambassador Bertrand Cochery and EU representative Philippe Van Damme, who toured Diallo’s house on the day of the attack by security forces and RPG thugs.  And, when these diplomats decide to break their silence, let’s hope they can demonstrate more respect for the people of Guinea by not grousing about opposition youth with rocks and by not giving that condescending “calm down” hand signal they gave at Cellou’s to people who have been to hell and back.

Guinea:  Journalist Hospitalized After Assault by Police Officers

Press Release

Mamadou Sire Diallo, a reporter with the privately-owned satirical newspaper, Le Lynx, was badly beaten on June 19, 2013, by a group of policemen at the capital, Conakry. Diallo met his ordeal when he was covering a confrontation between some political party supporters in Conakry.

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s monitor in the country reported that Diallo has been admitted at a hospital with injuries to his head and temples while his reporting equipment was confiscated by the officers.

Narrating the incident to MFWA’s monitor, Diallo said when the police officers saw him they shouted that he is a spy and pounced on him. One officer slapped him and another rained blows on him. They tore his clothes and seized his dictaphone and camera.

“I told them that I was a journalist. I showed them my press card. But they rained blows on me and dragged me into the mud,” Diallo said.

The MFWA condemns this act of lawlessness by the police officers and call on the media association and groups including the management of Le Lynx to lodge a complaint against the police officers.

We specifically, call on Madifing Diane, the Head of the Guinea Police Force, to as a matter of urgency subject his officers to professional training, especially in media relations in the build up to the country’s legislative elections in July this year.

We make this call at a time that state-perpetrated attacks against the media are on the increase. Within this year alone dozens of journalists and media organizations have been assaulted by security forces and not even one of such cases has been investigated or prosecuted.

For instance, within a period of two months (March – April) uniformed police officers besieged the premises of the Conakry-based Planete FM and fired shots at the radio station. Yet these officers have not been arrested and dealt with.

Guinea Opposition Withdraws from Dialogue Talks, UFDG Issues Detailed Statement About How Attack Happened Condemning Gov’t.’s Propaganda Machine to Shift Blame

The Opposition Officially Withdraws from the Dialogue

Posted on June 20, 2013

Wednesday’s violence that followed the appearance of Diallo in court has political consequences. The coalition of opposition in the collective, ADP, CDR and FDP, after a meeting on Thursday, decided to withdraw from the negotiating table.

Political opponents of the regime of President Alpha Conde condemned the “police repression” against Elhadj Diallo before expressing their solidarity with the boss of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG). The meeting was held at the headquarters of the UFDG. Apart from Lansana Kouyaté and Kassory Fofana, all political opposition leaders were present at the conclave. We will return.

Alpha Oumar Diallo et Mamadou Aliou Barry pour Aminata.com

 

 

 

 

Statement by UFDG National Directorate Regarding Attack on Home of President Cellou Diallo

 

The National Directorate of UFDG followed with surprise, different press releases issued by the Government and other public services, including the Press Office of the Presidency of the Republic and the General Directorate of the Police Service, reporting on violence following the passage of the President UFDG to the Court of First Instance (CFI) in Dixinn. These releases, as usual, assign responsibility for attacking citizens walking along the route and vandalizing shops and to activists of the UFDG who were the ones who were attacked.

 

The National Directorate of UFDG categorically denies these unfounded allegations. Allow us, rather, to present the facts as they occurred. President of the UFDG, Elhadj Diallo decided to respond to the subpoena that TPI Dixinn had sent him last April. Around 9:30 am, the President of the UFDG, with some opposition leaders, activists and supporters of the UFDG, left his home in order to arrive at TPI Dixinn at 10:15 am. The prosecutor’s office where he was received, along with other opposition leaders and in the presence of counsel, the counsel for the complainant informed Diallo that his client, the complainant, was willing to withdraw its complaint for a criminal mediation. The leader of the UFDG said he was not prepared to enter into any negotiations with the complainant, but if he decided to withdraw his complaint, he would act. The prosecutor said that he took note and he informed Elhadj Diallo that he will agree with the complainant. At this point, the leader of UFDG went back to his home, accompanied by his supporters.

 

When Diallo’s entourage arrived at the Donka school, they were joined by two pick-up trucks of police who tried to disperse the procession with tear gas and stones. Some young marchers reciprocated and the police were left on the side of the road. Thus, the procession continued he slowly to the point of the Total petrol station in the former Oasis club where Diallo’s entourage was again intercepted by a group of more numerous and violent police. They sprang into action against the procession with tear gas and throwing stones while making arrests of activists, especially women who could not run. At one point, the police were directly behind the car of the President of the UFDG who got out and asked the police to stop the violence against his supporters who were not protesters, but citizens returning from an open court session.

 

The police did not want to listen and instead kept throwing tear gas and stones and fired into the air. It is in these conditions qu’Elhadj Cellou Dalein and what remained of his retinue headed towards his home.  A few minutes later to the surprise of all, tear gas bombs and stones began to rain within the property of Diallo’s home. According to witnesses who were standing outside, police received support from three minibuses full of hooligans.  For two hours, the home of Cellou Dalein was subjected to this shower of stones and tear gas which was thrown on both sides of the street towards the sea  The results of the violence in the home of the President of the UFDG was 17 serious injuries including one person with a gunshot and at least 20 heavily damaged cars.

 

To this, another 33 people were wounded, primairly in neighborhoods of Ratoma,, two by bullets (now in a coma) outside the home Elhadj Diallo (Diallo stated yesterday that ambulances were not allowed to leave the area of his home to take the more serious victims to hospital because security forces had blocked roads, Ed., Guinea Oye).  All that happened took place in front of many journalists from the national and international press and in the presence of leaders of the Republican opposition. Clearly these are the security forces supported subsequently by hooligans who call themselves Knights of the Republic, who are solely responsible for the attacks against the President of the UFDG and the activists during the day of Wednesday, June 19, 2013. National Party leadership will draw all the consequences.

 

Conakry , June 19, 2013 The National Directorate of UFDG

(VIDEOS-FR) – Conde’s Security Forces and RPG Thugs Tear Gas Home of Opposition Leader, Cellou Diallo: Several Injured, Some by Live Fire and UFDG Party Pulls Out of Dialogue Talks

Alpha Conde engineered a political trial against Cellou Diallo in which he is charged with defamation of one of Conde’s cronies, Malick Sankhon. Today was Dailo’s second appearance before the court in this matter and many of his fellow party leaders and supporters showed up to support him.  Trouble began when security forces prevented opposition supporters from entering the courtroom and numerous RPG party thugs were there to further disrupt the crowd.  Scuffles and rock throwing ensued.  As Diallo’s entourage headed back to his home after the court session, they were hit with tear gas and when he arrived home his house was tear-gassed by police and RPG thugs. Other state forces and RPG busied themselves with damaging vehicles and stealing from the home.

The UFDG website is reporting that 15 people are wounded, three of them were shot with live fire and are in serious condition.  There have been arrests as well.  Guinean websites are reporting that after today’s attack on his home, Diallo, has met with the political leadership of his UFDG party and a unanimous decision was made to withdraw from dialogue talks.  No word as to what other opposition parties might do.

This is not the first time Diallo’s house has been tear-gassed by security forces.  Last August, prior to an opposition march, security forces entered Diallo’s home and  let off dozens of tear gas canisters.  Many people in and around the house were overcome by the gas.  Later in this opposition march, Cellou Diallo, Lansana Kouyate, and Sidya Toure (former prime ministers and current presidents of the primary opposition parties) were the victim of an assassination attempt by Conde’s forces as the car they were riding in was hit by live fire and a grenade.

Sadly, today’s events reflect just another day in the lawless land of Alpha Conde where political opponents are treated like enemies of the state.

Several articles below, translated into English by Google.  Various videos of the day’s events follow.  

Stay tuned . . .

 

 

Youths Armed with Knives and Stones Reinforced by Police Surrounded the Home of Diallo,Throwing Stones at Passers-By as Well

 

The court of first instance Dixin, where the leader of the Guinean opposition, Diallo was convened this morning in the defamation suit  filed by Sankhon Malick, director of social security, the crowd of activists accompanied Diallo, has clashed with security forces who refused them entry into the courtroom. Diallo was also accompanied by some leaders, including the NFD Diallo, Charles Pascal Tolno PPG, and Jean Marc Telliano, president of RDIG and Jean Marie Dore, President of UGG and former prime minister under the Transition General Konate.

 

At the end of the court, the tension rose between the two parties turned into a confrontation, the police fired tear gas into the crowd, young people responded by throwing stones.

 

Upon arrival at home Diallo, his car was surrounded by police, and other young people who participated in the arrests of its activists, he came down, and instantly, the forces of the would order the strikes blows, causing a return of militants dispersed. Cellou Dalein could finally reach his home.

According Maladho Diallo UFDG, the ambulance came retrieve the wounded was attacked by youths who accompany police.

When we post such information, armed with knives and stones youth, reinforced by the presence of police surrounded the home Diallo, throwing stones and attacking passers-by to some facies. Attorney Dixin, arrived at Diallo, promising to free the young injured and arrested, for those who surround her home no word yet.

GUINEEINFORMATION

Wounded by live ammunition, according to a member of the UFDG

Posted on June 19, 2013

Fighting continues in the same time in the neighborhoods of Hamdallaye Bambeto-axis. Elements of the security forces clash with tear gas youths armed with stone militants.

Reached by phone Aminata.com, Ousmane Diallo, Executive Office UFDG, says that the party already has several wounded, some by live ammunition. “There are twenty people who are affected either by bullets or by knives and bullets.” said the young assets UFDG.

For him, nothing justifies the violence of the police following the convening of Diallo in court. ” We had left the court, we went to the President of the UFDG home, the traffic was not disturbed except for a few jams. So there was no mess that can justify the throw tear gas. There have been people who have surrounded the home Elhadj Diallo to throw stones in the courtyard. This is are the same practices that the government uses to tribaliser the repression of our members , “says Ousmane Diallo.

According to our information, the ambassador of the United States Conakry visited private home Diallo to inquire about the realities. “Ambassadors came, the prosecutor, lawyers came to see the damage”, says our source. The latest news, traffic is completely disrupted the Hamdallaye-Bambeto where youth and police clash axis. We will return

 

 

From www.guinee58.com

 

The home Diallo is besieged since this morning by the police. All cars were destroyed on site. The house was vandalized, objects were looted and taken away. Many of the wounded are counted. Injured they can not evacuate to hospitals to receive health care as police blocked all access to input and output.

Dalein life is endangered. Diplomatic sources say that Alpha Conde has not withstood the pressure that world leaders have put him at the G8 summit. Asked clearly meet the Ouagadougou agreements which stipulate the sharing of power. The G8 Speakers also ordered him to stop the persecution of opposition activists.

VIDEOS

Le procureur de Dixinn chez l’opposant Cellou Dalein Diallo

(The public prosecutor of Dixinn at Diallo’s home receiving  details about the attacks)

Après du procureur, les échauffourées se poursuivent

(After the public prosecutor leaves, trouble begins to heat up again – tear gas)

Le procureur de Dixinn et les opposants chez Cellou Dalein

(The public prosecutor of Dixinn speaking with opposition supporters at Diallo’s home)

La police, les militants de l’opposition et de la mouvance

(Police, opposition supporters and members of the presidential movement)

 

Opposition March Update 4-25: Plain- Clothed Police Infiltrate Crowd, Police Tear Gas March Cutting it in Half and Opposition Leaders Give Conde Hell in Speeches

photo: aminata.com

According to africaguinee.org, police presence in Bambeto was light as well as along the march route. Yet, as often is the case, there were provocations near Conde’s RPG party headquarters near Hamadallye. Several people were injured. The RPG announced earlier that it was closing its headquarters to make sure their supporters were not involved in skirmishes. Police set off tear gas into the opposition march, cutting it in half. It appears that marchers cut off from the front of the march had little choice but to turn around and go back home. When you see pictures of the rally, double the number of protesters.

This follows a scenario the government has used for the last couple of years during opposition marches – RPG supporters initiate an attack on opposition marchers, usually with stones, the security forces blame the disturbance on the opposition and respond by throwing tear gas into the march, resulting in the march being cut in half.

Aminata.com says marchers are reporting that police in plain clothes have infiltrated the march. Now we know why the presence of uniformed police along the route is less than normal. Also:

“Despite the registered seat of the RPG arc-en-ciel clashes that saw a large number of activists have to turn back in a strong human tide expected at the opposition rally at the stage on September 28. The main opponents of the regime of President Alpha Condé in all sternly denounced the will of those in power to hold fraudulent elections, found Aminata.com.

In front of thousands of activists, Aboubacar Sylla, spokesman for the opposition, argues that the government continues to organize “rigged elections, a real sham election.” That’s why he added, everyone must stand up and refuse “this sham election for our country.”

For its part, Boubacar Barry UNR, invited the president to behave like a Mandela as he had promised during his inauguration. Diallo, head of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), spoke about the youth engagement.“Young Bambeto reassured me, everyone is reassured that you do not fight for money, you fight for the establishment of democracy,” said Diallo. According to the former Prime Minister, it is the turn of a table that disputes including the choice of the operator can be solved. According to him, the event this Thursday has mobilized more than one million activists Before inviting Guinean citizens to mobilize, Diallo, predicted that “the next walk will be on the highway” Fidel Castro.”

AMINATA.COM

Feb. 27 Guinea Opposition March: The Video, Starring Conde’s Cops as They Throw Rocks at Cars and People

Power to the People!

NOTE:  Sorry, video placed in post last night was wrong one.  Now the full version is inserted below.

What a joyous treat it is to watch this video (further below). If anyone doubted that several hundred thousand opposition supporters participated in the march, this video confirms it as a virtual sea of people hit the streets in the struggle to liberate their country.

You will see that the march was interrupted several times by rock-throwing RPG supporters and police letting off tear gas. In some instances, the tear gas is massive and could easily have caused a stampede in the crowd.

There are great segments showing cheering people on either side of the highway as well as those in the caravan and march.  In the last few minutes you will see various opposition leaders making speeches.

But, the best five seconds of the video shows Conde’s not so finest cops, throwing rocks at the people in the caravan and at vehicles belonging to opposition leaders. The cop rock-throwing clip is repeated numerous times in the video so if you don’t catch right off, you will seeing it again soon.

Note that the video is a little grainy and throughout its 1 hour, 11 minutes length, it is punctuated several times with still pics and video and then returns to the chronological account of the march.

For those of you who do not have the time to view the whole video, here are a few highlights and the minute marks were you can see them:

-Rock throwing cops, 12 second mark (again, this clip is repeated throughout the video)

The crowd, I recommend you watch from the 5:24 mark through to the 15:00 mark

-Tear gas, 41:49 mark, 42:12, and 50:06

-Car damage, 48:09 mark

Opposition Funeral Procession: Rocks, Tear Gas and Shooting by Police and Gendarmes

Here are two articles which, hopefully, will give you an idea about how the funeral procession went today. The first article is written by a Guinean journalist who made the full trip with the cortege. The second is a Reuters article which picks up where the Guinean article leaves off.

Many questions remain, especially  the number of casualties. More info to come . . .

posted March 8, 2013 at 10:51

From guineenews.org

Opposition Funeral Procession

There were thousands of people, including political leaders, motorcyclists, motorists, who have made a fitting tribute to six young activists aged 13 to 22 years, who were buried Friday in Bambeto cemetery on the outskirts of Conakry.
Opposition leaders who participated are Cellou Dalein Diallo, Sidya Touré, Lansana Kouyaté, Aboubacar Sylla, Kassory Fofana, Mouctar Diallo, Dr. Faya Millimouno, Daniel Kolié, Ahmed Tidjane Diallo, Dr. Fode Fofana Oussou and the bereaved families and many excited young supporters.

It all started very normally with a reunion at the home Cellou Dalein Diallo in Dixinn Bora, then on to at Donka Hospital for the removal of the bodies, followed by the great Friday prayer.
After the funeral prayer, the procession drove slowly to the cemetery along Prince Highway towards Bambeto via Dixinn, Bellevue, Hamdallaye, Dar es Salaam and finally the Bambeto cemetary.

Throughout the march, the young shouting things like “Allahu Akbar (God is great hear),” or other slogans which are very hostile to the regime. “Alpha assassin!”, “Alpha dictator”, “zero Alpha”, “Alpha incompetent,”

Throughout the journey, women were in tears when they saw the picture of the young Mamadou Alpha Diallo 15 years old. “He’s a kid,” they said. “The bastards killed him while they went to buy a loaf of bread Koloma,” retorted his relatives in poular.

Everything went well, excerpt there were a few problems along the way. First in front of the former headquarters of the presidential party, RPG, in between Hamdallye and Miniere there was a heavy police presence. Young people just booed the police on the spot.

Then before the Hamdallaye Squadron, the gate of the cemetary was barricaded and the police were stationed on the balcony. “You killed our friends but we will punish you,” said the youth. “You kill us as if we were not men,” they shouted

.
As before, at the RPG headquarters of the presidential party in Hamdallaye, there, it was tear gas and throwing stones for several minutes. The procession was cut in half. Fortunately, opposition leaders and the remains had managed to cross the passage.

“The seat of the RPG is not a republican institution. So the police have no place there. The day the police will leave there, our walk will be peaceful,” said Dr. Fode Fofana Oussou of the UFDG.

To 4:30 p.m., the remains were buried in Bambeto. Anger, sadness were visible on all faces.

In an impromptu speech, Cellou Dalein Diallo, the main opposition leader criticized the retrograde policy of Alpha Condé, which he said is exclusionary and arbitrary.

On the return home, clashes were reported at the intersection between youth and Bambeto forces.

Abdoulaye Bah
Conakry, Guinea
224.62.14.15.09

Protestors, police clash at Guinea opposition march

Fri Mar 8, 2013 3:59pm EST

By Saliou Samb

CONAKRY (Reuters) – Protesters clashed with Guinean police on Friday at a march by thousands of opposition supporters in the coastal capital Conakry, the latest in more than a week of violence stemming from a dispute over legislative elections.

Activists, who accuse President Alpha Conde of planning to rig the vote planned for May 12, were marking the funerals of nine people killed during rallies over the past 10 days.

Witnesses said a group attacked a temporary police post at a crossroads in the Bambeto neighborhood, near Conakry’s international airport, and police responded by firing warning shots and teargas to try to break up the crowd.

“They attacked the (police) post and wrecked it. We fired warning shots but the crowd continued to threaten us,” a police official, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters.

Eight police officers were injured and around 10 protesters arrested, he said.

“The crowd has dispersed … We can still hear the shooting,” local resident Souleymane Bah told Reuters by phone. Police reinforcements were arriving on the scene, he added.

Hundreds have been injured since the opposition started rallying in the capital on February 27 and disturbances have also spread to several towns in the interior of the mineral-rich West African country.

Guinea is the world’s top supplier of the aluminum ore bauxite and holds rich deposits of iron ore. But political turmoil has unnerved investors.

The May vote is meant to complete a transition to civilian rule after a 2008 military coup, thereby unlocking hundreds of millions of dollars in European aid.

Conde’s government met an opposition delegation on Monday to try to resolve the dispute – though the main opposition leaders did not attend the meeting in protest at security forces’ use of violence.

Government spokesman Damantang Albert Camara said authorities had offered to allow civil society groups and foreign diplomats to act as independent observers of the electoral process.

“The opposition should accept that as a guarantee,” he said, referring to the observers. “We hope the opposition’s demands are not just a way of dodging the discussion. That would really be a pity.”

The opposition has demanded the government replace the South African firm Waymark, saying there were irregularities when it was awarded a contract to update the electoral register. Activists also want the right to vote for Guineans overseas.

“We do not agree with the framework we are being offered,” said opposition spokesman Aboubacar Sylla. “We want the activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) to be frozen immediately so the conclusions of this dialogue can be applied.”

Behind Guinea’s political feuding there is a deep-rooted rivalry between the Malinke and the Peul, its two largest ethnic groups. The Malinke broadly support Conde, who comes from that ethnic group, while the opposition draws heavily from the Peul.

(Reporting by Saliou Samb; Editing by Andrew Heavens)