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Guinea: Anti-military junta protests continue – At least four dead

New demonstrations against the military regime in Guineatook place in Conakry, with the prosecution claiming one death and the organizers at least four.

In a statement read out on state television news, the Conakry prosecutor’s office said it had been informed by a hospital in the Guinean capital that he had been treated there yesterday the “corpse of a 58-year-old man who was hit by a bullet at his place of work”.

For its part, the National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (EMYS), an alliance of parties, unions and civil society organizations, which had called for the demonstrations, spoke of “four dead and many wounded by bullets, five of which they are between life and death”, in his statement, a copy of which came into the possession of AFP.

Four journalists were “attacked by protesters” yesterday, Guinea’s Union of Press Professionals said in a statement, “condemning” “regressive” actions of this nature.

The demonstrations began on Thursday, at the call of EMYS, to denounce the “unilateral management of the (political) transition” by the military junta.

The National Alliance for Change and Democracy (ESED), another alliance of parties, movements and collectives, and the former ruling party, the People’s Alarm of Guinea (LSG), together with EMYS, called for demonstrations the day before yesterday in Conakry and on August 4 across the country.

On Thursday, one protester was killed, according to the National Front for the Defense of the Constitution. Authorities have not confirmed the death.

Clashes in the suburbs

Clashes broke out between law enforcement and youths in Conakry yesterday morning, stopped at midday but resumed later, especially in suburbs such as Babetteau, Sofonia and on the Le Prince highway, an AFP reporter and eyewitnesses said.

Youths set fire to car tires and overturned dustbins on roads, while throwing stones and other objects at law enforcement vehicleswho retaliated by using tear gas, according to the same imgs.

Last night, gunfire was still heard in districts of the capital of Guinea.

Colonel Mamadi Dubouya, who overthrew President Alfa Conde on September 5, in power for more than ten years (2010-2021), has pledged to hand power back to citizens after three years.

The military junta declared on May 13 a ban “until the period of the election campaign” on any demonstration on a public street or public space that “may disturb the tranquility of citizens” and the “proper conduct of activities” in the three years until the return to governance by politicians.

The prosecutor’s office announced that an investigation will be conducted against those who organized Thursday’s demonstration.

EMYS had already called for a mass mobilization on June 23, defying the military junta’s ban, but canceled the call on the eve of the demonstration, to give “a chance” to the ongoing dialogue with the transitional government.

But after the most recent meeting with the transitional government, he denounced it as a “travesty”, as well as the regime’s “unilateral and authoritarian” behavior and “very serious attacks on fundamental rights and freedoms”.

From Bissau, during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, the Acting President of the Union of West African States, Oumaru Sissoko Embalo, assured that he had “convinced” the junta to speed up the timetable for the restoration of democracy. .

“I went to Conakry (…) to explain to the military junta the decision of the summit of heads of state (which stipulated that) the transition cannot exceed 30 months. They proposed 36 months, but we managed to convince them.”

But Ousmane Gawal Diallo, a spokesman for Guinea’s transitional government, said “neither the government nor the presidency confirms this information about the duration of the transition” in the country.

Source: News Beast

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